#and small spoons also from a different unmatching set

[two-calicos-in-a-trenchcoat]

My dads not back meaning I have to put away the dishes which means I can put them away correctly for once

[bentforkent]

to the moon and to saturn - chapter one

spencer reid x fem!reader

navigation and summary 

word count: 2753

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seven

“you’re boring.”

“no, i’m not, y/n!”

“you never want to play pirates with me!”

spencer’s hair is long and his glasses are sliding down his nose. the light seeping into y/n’s room from her large bay window is muted by the white sheet covering it. the sheet rests precariously over a chair, forming a blanket fort carefully engineered by spencer, and haphazardly constructed by y/n. there are throw pillows tossed throughout the fort, and spencer makes an attempt to straighten them whenever he gets the chance.  whenever he comes to y/n’s house, ringing her doorbell with a backpack full of books, they work together to add on to their secret hideaway. the white sheet is the newest addition, especially designed to let more natural light into the blanket burg. this follows a poor mishap where a lamp y/n had left on too long burnt a hole through her carpet.

previously, the pair had constructed a stuffed animal room, a reading corner, a designated snack area. y/n’s starting to run out of linens. the fort has been standing for weeks now, y/n’s parents very rarely involved enough to enter her room, giving her and spencer free reign to create their own imaginary worlds to play in undisturbed.

except spencer, with all his practicality, isn’t particularly adept at the “playing in imaginary worlds” part. y/n can’t comprehend that. it’s simple for her to slip into a different universe, enjoyable, even. she’s begged spencer to play mermaids, bank robbers, fbi agents, firefighters, princesses---you name it. spencer indulges her for the most part, but y/n can always tell that he’s not that into it. he’s much fonder of tucking into some obscure poetry book, reading aloud when y/n requests. she never comprehends much of what he’s saying, but he reads so confidently that it fills her with glee anyways.  

for seven year olds, it’s clear to outsiders that they both don’t quite act their age. y/n, with her big doe eyes, dreams too much, her escapism both her greatest asset and most fatal flaw. spencer’s a stickler to the realistic, his pragmatic nature an unconscious choice that gives him a beautiful worldview but will make him grow up too fast. for now, though, the children don’t worry about that. they worry solely about balancing each other out and the purity that comes with being in youth.

y/n is splayed on her back on the floor of the fort, where her scratchy carpet is covered with a fluffy pink blanket. her hair fans out around her head in a halo. spencer’s physics book is closed and set gently in the corner, and he’s attempting to braid a small chunk of y/n’s hair. “pirates is my least favorite game,” he says.

“what about knights?” y/n angles herself to look back at him. she’s far too young to execute a soul searching gaze, but the way her eyes strain to scan his face comes close. she takes note of his facial expression giving away his inner thoughts. the way his lip quirks up indicates that he definitely does not want to play knights with the girl in front of him, but the softness in his eyes tells y/n that she’s won.

without another word, they crawl out from their blanket fort and jump onto the bed. “my armor is blue,” y/n says, unsheathing an imaginary sword and holding it up in joust. “knight armor was typically made of iron or steel, and there was no way to make it blue in the late 15th century,” spencer piped up, mirroring her actions. he likes playing at y/n’s house. his parents would never let him jump on the bed. y/n’s parents let the two of them do a lot of things, spencer thinks, and he’s never heard them fight like his parents do either.

“cool, spencer!” y/n says enthusiastically. she’s always enthusiastic when he tells her a fact, even though she rarely really understands him. she knows people are terrible to spencer because of his intellect, and had made a pact with herself when they first became friends that she would never ever ever be mean to spencer for being smart. “we can pretend, though. yours can be blue too!”

“okay,” he replies, and y/n begins to coach him through the game, attempting to loosen him up a bit. they play, bouncing around on the bed and wielding fake medieval weapons until the sun begins to go down and spencer remarks that he needs to go home before dark or his mom will be upset.

y/n reluctantly lets him leave, knowing that he has a lot less fun at his house, but finding comfort in the fact that he’ll come back the next day.

spencer and y/n spend every day together, without fail. they’re young, and they don’t know much about life, but they know that they’re the only people for each other. they’ve been inseparable since y/n had toddled into spencer’s first grade class and heard him reciting a john lyngate poem. her favorite book at that time was a brightly colored picture book, so she was both fascinated and confused by the boy in glasses in front of her. that day, they’d sat together on the bus and chatted the whole way home. the pure elation that occurred when the children realized they shared the same bus stop was unmatched. y/n, who’d just moved to las vegas, was relieved she’d met a friend in her new hometown.

she didn’t really meet any other friends after associating herself with spencer. he’d warned her that being his best friend was basically social suicide, but y/n was already attached to him like superglue. once, a girl in their class had tried to invite y/n to sit with her at lunch. the girl not-so-subtly made it clear that spencer was not invited to the table, and y/n had shut that down quickly with a swift spoonful of red jell-o down her shirt. spencer decided then that red jell-o was his favorite.

to sum it all up, in super simple terms, y/n and spencer were close. and everyone in their town knew it, including their parents, although both sets of adults were generally nonplussed about what their children were involved in as long as they were alive and surviving.

y/n’s parents aren’t neglectful, per se. she’d just had to learn how to fend for herself very early on. y/n’s existence had been an accident, and although she didn’t know that in explicit terms, it wasn’t hard to figure out based on the lack of maternal instincts from her mother. y/n’s mother sat on the back porch of their house a lot, looking out at their tiny, barren backyard with a cigarette in hand. her father went away on many business trips, coming back to greet the family only with a pat on y/n’s head before he padded up to the bedroom to slip into bed. one day, y/n would realize the intensity of the mental health problems both of her parents were suffering from, but as a child, the adults in her life just felt far away.

spencer’s parents were similar in a sense that they weren’t the best. rather than the silence that settled over y/n’s house, his home filled with argument. it’s why he found solace with y/n, with their blanket fort. y/n’d offered to let him live with them constantly, but spencer couldn’t leave his mother. his father? he couldn’t care less. but his mother...as much as spencer longs to spend his days curled up in y/n’s bed, reading, he knows above anything else, he’s got to protect his mother.

after closing the door behind spencer, y/n skips to the kitchen to pour herself a drink. her and spencer had made fresh lemonade the day before, squeezing lemons y/n had stolen from her neighbor’s tree. spencer had been in charge of the sugar, and he’d added way too much. the pair tried it, though, and liked the super sweet taste.

y/n fills her glass with ice, having to stand on her tippy toes to reach it in the freezer. after the cup is filled with the sugary beverage, she takes a second to peer out of the window and check on her mom outside. y/n expected to find her in her usual plastic chair, cloud of smoke encircling her. but she wasn’t there. this was odd. she sets her sweating glass down on the table, and wanders upstairs to get a location on her mother.

loud moans float down from the top of the stairs, and y/n, ever naive, follows the sound to its source. the stairs creak under her feet, her house old and probably close to crumbling. y/n pushes the door to her parents’ room open with both hands, and is immediately sick at the sight. at seven years old, she doesn’t fully understand what’s happening, but she knows that whatever she is seeing is wrong.

william reid, spencer’s father, is laid naked next to her mother, also fully exposed. they’re startled by the door opening, shocked to see young y/n standing there, witnessing their adultery. the three of them are in a trance, suspended in surprise. y/n’s brain is moving a mile a minute, she knows, but she can’t seem to form any cohesive thoughts except “this is not right.”  it feels like forever that y/n is holding eye contact with william before her mother speaks. “y/n,” she starts, but y/n doesn’t stick around to hear the end of the sentence. she’s out of the bedroom and out of the house in 30 seconds flat.

as she runs down the suburban street, she’s barely aware of the tears rolling down her cheeks or the pain in her feet. she’d forgotten shoes. she runs, runs, runs, hair flowing behind her. she runs until her thoughts catch up to her. where can she go? she realizes that her body had been taking her straight to spencer’s house, but she couldn’t. how could she look him in the eye? how could she tell him that her own mother is responsible for his family falling apart? how could she ever even be near him again? stopping in the middle of the road, y/n lets out an anguished scream. a ferocious scream. a scream that claws its way out of her chest. and then, sufficiently exhausted by both her physical activity and her emotional despair, she turns back the way she came and begins to trek back towards her house.

- - - - - -

“penny, i have no clue how you do your job,” y/n says, handing the blonde woman before her a hot macchiato in a to-go cup.

her hair is longer now, her eyes more weary. the wonder she felt as a child is long gone, sucked out of her on that fateful night. y/n hardly thinks about it anymore, but that night after she had gone home, her mother made her pack her bags and took her as far away from vegas as possible. as far away from spencer as possible. she never saw him again. it’s been almost twenty years since she’d last seen the geeky boy. the loss of her childhood best friend was a dull wound now, one tucked safely in the back of her subconscious. sometimes she wonders how he turned out, but their time together feels more like a dream than a memory.

y/n moved away from her parents as soon as she turned 18, straight to washington d.c.. with no money, no degree, no friends or family, y/n turned to her work. she got a job in a tiny coffee shop, and the elderly lady who owned it took her under her wing. her name was janice, and she was an old, childless widow. y/n’s kind disposition filled a void janice had given up on trying to fill, and the two became a fierce pair. janice provided y/n with the apartment above the shop, higher-than-minimum wage, and when janice passed five years later, y/n inherited the coffee shop itself. she’d been owning and running it ever since.

it was at this shop that she met penelope garcia. penelope frequented the kitschy coffee place before work, and had gained quite the soft spot for the raven-haired owner. the two of them chatted every morning as y/n flitted around behind the counter, making whatever caffeine-filled concoction penelope had ordered. eventually, their friendship progressed past casual small talk at y/n’s work into wine-filled sleepover nights at their apartments.

“my job is hard, my friend,” penelope replies, shuddering. “some of the stuff i see gives me the heebie jeebies.”

“yeah, like dead bodies.” y/n turns and begins making her own personal coffee to start the day, penelope leaning on the counter in front of her. “heebie jeebies is an understatement!” y/n faces penelope again and grins, pouring copious amounts of sugar into a mug that janice had used while running the café.

“you know, y/n, i only know one other person in the world that takes that much sugar in their coffee,” penelope remarks while she watches the barista stir her obscenely sweet coffee with a wooden stirrer.

“hmm, they must be my soulmate, then,” y/n says. penelope’s ears perk up at that. she makes her way to the door, and y/n raises her mug in lieu of a wave. “have fun at work, pen! see you at your place tonight! i’ll bring wine!” penelope responds with a witty goodbye and heads to work, just the jingle of the bells on the door to signify she was ever there.

-----

penelope saunters into the behavioral analysis unit office 30 minutes later, cup of coffee long empty. “good morning, babygirl,” derek says.

“i’ll show you a good morning, hot stuff,” penelope deadpans, walking through the bullpen to greet all of her coworkers. penelope’s so bright that she immediately lights up the dreary BAU.

“spencer!” she calls, prompting the shaggy haired doctor to look up from his desk.

“good morning, garcia,” he says with a small wave.

“this morning, i got coffee at my favorite place,” penelope begins to gush, “and the barista puts just as much sugar in her coffee as you do!”

spencer doesn't understand why garcia is telling him this until she continues.

“this particular barista happens to be super cute and also one of my closest friends.”

spencer shakes his head with a laugh. “no, garcia, i’m not letting you set me up again.”

“okay, the first one was not good, i’ll admit.” she perches on the edge of his desk.

“but i actually know this girl! and i love her!”

spencer shakes his head again, giving penelope a light, joking push off of her seat. “no,” he emphasizes, and garcia gives him a dramatic sigh.

“okay,” she says, dragging out the word. “i’m going to go to my lair now to give you time to

think about it.” she presses a kiss to the top of his head, and with a ruffle of his hair, she floats to her office.

i’ll convince him, she thinks. i mean, how could i not? coffee aside, the kids are perfect for each other. she doesn’t know how she missed the blatant similarities between them. penelope’s usually very perceptive, and that makes her really good at setting people up. i might as well be cupid, she thinks, except for that one date i’d sent spencer on. she chooses to ignore that one. a minor lapse in judgement.

penelope pulls out her phone to text y/n.

penelope (7:56): y/n, my love, my light, i have found the most perfect guy for you

y/n (7:57): no penny, not again

y/n (7:57): remember the last date you set me up on?

oh yeah, penelope remembers. she’d sent both of her friends on two completely separate, shitty dates. maybe cupid wasn’t the best nickname for her.

penelope (7:59): you’re right. ugh. ix-nay on that idea then

she attaches a lot of sad emojis, then tucks her phone away. there goes that. penelope tucks that idea away, into the depths of her brain, and forgets about it.

[awakeneddragon]

List of Kin Experiences

A while back, I decided to compile a list of various experiences that I’ve had that I consider to be at least slightly non-human in nature. I thought I would finally share it here. 

The basic layout/template was made by @a-dragons-journal, but the writing is my own.

Phantom Limbs: This is a common thing to experience in the otherkin community, and describes feeling limbs that are not physically there. Though my own experiences with this are quite tame in comparison to others (as some have reported being able to feel when these “limbs” are touched), this is something that I’ve gone through for many years without thinking too much of it. 

Feeling myself having claws/talons was a regular occurrence for me. Though I couldn’t “see” their specific appearance, I definitely knew they were there and was able to “move” them. This was an involuntary and consistent thing that happened. I remember being pretty insistent on keeping my nails long due to this, and it always felt wrong when they were clipped.

Feeling a tail was somewhat common as well, as were ears that would flatten or raise themselves depending on my emotions/what was happening around me. My teeth also sometimes felt sharper than they actually are. I don’t experience most of these as much as I used to, but not to the point that they’re rare.

Connection To Dragons: I’ve always had a large fascination with dragons. I'd become really attached to dragon characters in media and overall just connected with them more than other types of characters. 

I remember how I would sometimes imagine myself having a dragon form, and one of the imaginary friends I had was also a dragon. When I learned of the existence of roleplaying on the internet, my characters almost always had something to do with them (could transform into one, had a dragon ally, etc.) Whenever a movie, show, game, or whatever else depicted a dragon (no matter their role), my interest was immediately piqued. 

I became really interested in learning more about the different types and the many stories that have been written about them. I remember being upset when learning that a lot of the stories were of dragons being portrayed as cruel, selfish, and violent, as that didn't match my perception of them at all. I always saw them as these incredibly intelligent and gentle creatures that only attacked when threatened, or at least believed them to have more of a variety of personalities than what the media displays them to have. 

I would also cling onto anything that suggested the possibility of them existing elsewhere, either in the past or in the present. Even as a kid I believed in different dimensions and the possibility of "mythological" creatures existing in ones separate from ours or on separate planets. Anything that connected me specifically to dragons was always a delight as well, such as me learning that I was born in the year of the dragon. Though zodiacs to most people are often seen as dismissible nonsense, it truly meant something to me and admittedly still does.

Connection To Nature/Elements: Though it’s a fairly normal occurrence even for those who are non-otherkin, being out in nature is incredibly calming to me. However, what may set other people’s experiences and mine apart is the sense of familiarity I feel or the urges I experience in certain locations. There have been multiple occasions where I’ve told myself, “I swear I’ve been here or somewhere similar before”, despite the fact that I never actually have. 

With weather, nothing calms me more than being outside when it’s cold and windy. It’s a feeling of pure euphoria that I don’t really experience from anything else, and usually succeeds in making me feel like running around on all fours and just generally doing various animalistic things.

In terms of elements, I’ve always felt most connected to ice and wind, though occasionally I’ll feel a connection with water in terms of small bodies of it (rivers, streams, etc.) or storms.

Self-image: Though I often liked to imagine myself as a dragon when I was younger, this habit became much more significant when I acknowledged my draconity and remembered the appearance of my past form. Ever since this discovery, in my day to day life it’s impossible for me to see myself as entirely human. I know that I’m not, and there is no denying that fact for me. Whatever I’m doing; whether that be typing, walking, or eating… It’s become almost instinctual for me to envision my dragon form in the place of my human body. When I look in the mirror, my normal appearance just feels so unnatural in comparison to my kintype. 

Non-human Noises: Making noises that are more similar to the sounds an animal would make is something that I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. It’s my instinctive reaction to a lot of emotions. Snarling, growling, and hissing are all sounds that I commonly make, though on rare occasions I have made low rumbles that could be considered some sort of purr. Making and listening to these sounds is comforting to me. You can hear an example of some of the noises I make in my blog.

Movement/Expression: I don’t think I could even give an accurate number to the amount of times I’ve wanted to walk on all fours. I haven’t attempted to in a long time since I know it won’t be as satisfying as I’d like it to be, but imagining it feels so much more natural than walking on two legs. 

Another notable thing for me is how unnatural it sometimes feels to use forks and spoons when eating. It doesn’t really matter what it is; I usually prefer to eat things with my hands. As you can imagine, I’ve always been a bit of a messy eater, though I do at least know now to keep my manners in check. 

When experiencing anger, I often feel the urge to bare my teeth and/or dig my nails into whatever they’re in contact with.

In addition to this, I got in the habit of copying the movements of various dragon characters (Toothless, Spyro, Draco, Haku, etc.) They always felt more “right” to me.

Combat Instincts: The few times I’ve had a heated interaction with someone, I often felt the urge to claw them instead of punching them like most other humans would do in a fight. In fact, when I was a very young kid, my first instinct was to scratch people that made me upset/uncomfortable. I’m glad that I've grown out of that habit, but it was another reason that I disliked my nails being short. I saw them as the default/best method to defend myself.

Flight Instincts: Though I’m sure many wish to fly, I’m unsure if it often reaches the intensity of the desires that I often feel. Whether I’m outside or simply seeing an image where the sky is present, my very first instinct is to fly. It’s not simply a want; it’s something that I truly believe I was able to do at some point. I can very vividly imagine and “feel” what it’s like to experience the wind against my “fur” and see the ground far beneath me. This urge usually arrives in my mind before reality sets in and reminds me that flying isn’t possible with this form, and it’s something that gives me a deep level of sadness that is unmatched by almost anything else. 

Prey Drive: This is a very rare thing for me, though I figured it was notable enough to include. On a few occasions when watching documentaries, I have been able to easily envision myself in the predators place. At the sight of the prey that it's chasing, I’ll feel the urge to sink my teeth and “claws” into them. Of course, I would never actually go out and harm an animal.

Shifts: In the otherkin community, the act of going through a shift refers to people who are temporarily feeling especially like their kintype in some way. I don’t personally experience a heightened sense of smell or sight like some others, but it is incredibly easy to see myself as my past form and I'll have an increased urge to do many of the things listed above.

Dreams: It’s become a common occurrence for dragons to in some way be involved with my dreams. Most of the time I’ll just simply come across dragons or humans that can turn into them, though occasionally I’ll have the physical appearance of my past form. I unfortunately don’t remember too much of the latter dreams, but I do know that even in the dream world, this made me incredibly happy. It just felt correct, and I remember feeling a strong sadness when waking up.

Memories: I know that the human mind can make fantasies seem incredibly possible and/or real, so I take all of these memories with a grain of salt. However, I have had several experiences that could be considered memories of some sort. Below I’ll list some notable ones.

The very first memory I had depicted my past form in a "hallway" (I don’t know how else to describe it) that was made entirely out of snow and ice. I remember being able to vaguely see my reflection on the floor, and I looked up to see a blinding white light that I'm assuming was the exit before I started to run towards it.

My second memory was myself being in a forest full of leaves on the ground. I was on top of a slope, which I skidded down. I vaguely recall there being a nearby river.

Another memory depicted me in a snowy landscape. It was in the middle of the night and I was flying high in the sky.

I also had another memory at night/late afternoon, but the sky was just bright enough for me to see dark clouds. I was standing in an open field and looking around. It was pretty windy, as well; like it was about to storm. It's a very peaceful memory for me, despite the bad weather.

The most recent one I had yet again has to do with the night, but relied more on feelings and strong urges than sight. I was running in a forest, potentially chasing after/hunting something. It felt very cool and the overall atmosphere of it was very “wintery”. 

My first memory is what gave me a basic idea of what I looked like, though it wasn’t until in other memories where my appearance was consistent that I was more confident in myself. Funnily enough, before these memories I actually didn’t think that much of eastern dragons. It wasn’t that I disliked them, but they simply didn’t cross my mind that much due to western dragons being a much more common depiction in media.

Hoarding: This is the stereotype for dragons and something I see many dragonkin discussing, but it’s something I actually don’t relate with too much nowadays. However, when I was a kid, I would collect practically anything I could find around the house or outside. Rocks (that I would often insist were rare even though they clearly weren’t), rubber bands, beads, etc. These are all things that most people would consider worthless, but at the time they were special to me and I kept all of these items in a box that I was quite protective of.

Dens/Small Spaces: I remember when I was a kid, my mother and I built a pillow fort. I would hide and curl up inside it at every opportunity, as it made me feel incredibly content and safe. I have a similar urge whenever I see dens in movies and games. If I’m playing something that has caves, dens, or any other kind of small area, it’s very common for me to stop whatever I’m doing to just relax in these locations for a while.

And that concludes the list. I may update this whenever I recall anything else I find worth mentioning. My journey of being dragonkin has definitely been an interesting one, and I’m glad that I decided to become more involved in the community. Aside from some difficult times, being otherkin has had an overall positive impact on my life. It’s resulted in me meeting new people, feeling a sense of closure with myself that I’ve been lacking for as long as I can remember, and learning new things about dragons and the cultures of various places around the world.

[nathenlindgren]

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With all that said, we take time to hear your goals and where you want to be in the future, so we have a FULL understanding of what your company wants to accomplish in e-Commerce marketing and ensure you are well-supported throughout the process.

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Simply put, we genuinely care about your business, and we are passionate about bringing noticeable results building your competitive advantage. Our SEO solutions and digital marketing system in place are driven towards making an indelible impact with significant change on your company’s revenue growth and, eventually, help your business succeed in this competitive digital age.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EPROPEL DIFFERENCE. WE GIVE YOU A HANDS-OFF SOLUTION IN GETTING CONSISTENT SALES AND LEADS.

So, let’s kick things off with the help of our certified digital marketing experts!

Take note that highly effective e-Commerce marketing is a make or break necessity for many e-Commerce companies. Today, a plethora of e-Commerce businesses credit online marketing for achieving an increase in their ROI and their generation of more sales.

When it comes to e-Commerce digital marketing, finding the RIGHT e-Commerce marketing agency or partner can help you tap into this rapidly growing sales channel and keep your business prepared for the future!

That said, if you are looking for a dedicated digital marketing team passionate about taking your business to the next level, our integrated digital marketing strategies will be perfect for you!

Make ePropel and our team your trusted e-Commerce marketing agency. Our e-Commerce digital marketing services go unmatched, providing your business with the best value possible and helping your e-Commerce store get ahead in today’s very competitive online business world. We will develop a customized internet marketing package to meet your business KPIs and revenue growth goals.

With our team of experienced SEO and digital experts and a growing number of satisfied customers, ePropel becomes the trusted choice for e-Commerce companies looking to drive revenue, generate sales, set up an effective conversion strategy, and ultimately, get good leads aboard.

PARTNER WITH EPROPEL NOW, AND TOGETHER, WE WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS!

Why do you need a game plan for your online marketing?

The global market is continually expanding and innovating. If you don’t keep up with your competitors, you will be missing out on huge sales, let alone you lose in the game. Relying on the traditional forms of advertising and marketing products will not cut it or beat your competitors, especially in a very aggressive market with low customer spending.

With nearly all marketing efforts being performed now online, it is tough to draw customer’s attention to your business. Even more challenging is deciding between the various types of digital marketing people use today that will potentially market your business. If you continue to rest on your laurels in a world of business that’s highly competitive, sooner or later, a new competition lurks around the corner, and you are in a deadly trap.

Here’s a wake-up call to e-Commerce business owners

While you are not boosting your website’s visibility, your competitors are keeping the competition on their toes. So, if your potential and existing customers find them online, they will likely turn to your competitors instead of you as the go-to source for their needs. Thus, you miss the opportunity to pull in more customers and reach a large audience.

As you can see, digital marketing is relatively inexpensive and very doable, so there is no reason why e-Commerce businesses couldn’t stay in front of people and stand out from the crowd. No matter how new or small, your business can avoid being overlooked by the vast marketplace. Here’s the good news, at ePropel, we offer a suite of e-Commerce marketing services that make using e-Commerce marketing simple but on point and delivers results.

Take advantage of our online marketing strategies geared toward building your brand awareness, increased website traffic, targeted reach, leads, conversions, or even repeat purchases so that you could achieve your business growth goals. With a coordinated marketing strategy, your company will surely maximize the impact of your e-Commerce marketing efforts!

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET MORE CLIENTS AND REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET THROUGH SEO. WATCH THE FREE TRAINING VIDEO HERE.

Again, don’t rest on your laurels. It’s time to take massive action!

As a business owner, it is common for you to spin the wheels and lose focus. And as the business continues to grow, the demands to be met become increasingly high. Without noticing, it presents you with ever more complex challenges at a near-relentless pace, losing your control and grip on the business. Add in your personal and family needs; things could spiral down quickly, and it’s easy to constantly feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. ‍

With overwhelming things going on in the business, unknowingly, the day has gone by, and you missed priming the pump that improves cash flow. Remember that generating MORE sales or getting more people walking through your door are the lifeblood of your business. At the end of the day, the main thing that matters is, how many sales are you making?

If you want your business to realize its full potential without getting overwhelmed, take this advice seriously: do things that truly matter to your business, and don’t wait for your feelings to change to take action. Whether you like it or not, your e-Commerce success depends upon the successful marketing strategies you have poured into your business to gain traction in a crowded online marketplace.

If wearing multiple hats at your job hurts your efficiency, decreases your focus, and undermines your productivity as the company’s primary decision-maker – it’s about time to stop trying to do it all by yourself. Simple. If you do the SEO legwork yourself, you need to learn the process and pay for tool subscriptions. In addition, to get it done right, you need to invest in training and courses. Too much on your plate already, and confused about what to do first. Consider outsourcing your marketing – this is perhaps the best decision. This way, you can give your undivided attention to more important things to run your business more powerfully.

Do you want an e-Commerce marketing going and need help from experts?

No worries, we’ve got you covered! We at ePropel will help you create a plan, strategize, and implement it into your business. We will make things happen for you and deliver maximum SEO results that propel your business to grow. ‍

Prioritize Keywords That Gets You Results

Identify what your prospects are searching for on Google and embed these keywords into the right areas of your website that you can consistently get qualified leads on a regular basis.

Optimize Your Website to Increase Visibility

With over 200 optimization factors, we identify the top factors that are turning your visitors away and what would increase searchability on your website. We then implement these on your website on so that it helps your store to rank on Google for more keywords

Quality Link Building To Accelerate Your Growth

Without high-quality and relevant backlinks, it’s almost impossible to get to the 1st page of Google for the most competitive keywords in your niche, so it’s very important to match your eCommerce store with the most relevant and high quality backlink opportunities to achieve 1st page Google results.

Without SEO, your website is not found by searchers, and your efforts will be for nothing. Remember, most e-Commerce traffic comes from Google, and because of this, implementing cohesive e-Commerce marketing strategies will help you get found, get noticed, and attract new leads.

Investing in SEO and digital marketing is a long-term investment. We believe that building our partnership with you is crucial to making our working relationship as smooth sailing as possible. We understand that you are busy running your business. Don’t worry; we’ve got this!

We will take your business marketing off your plate and help you get into the “​feels right” zone quickly to skyrocket your sales. We’ve got your back, and you can count on us, through thick and thin. We have everything tracked with advanced analytics on your site, showing all aspects of your business, resulting in a more effective and faster decision-making process and ensuring that all campaigns perform at peak potential. We will also send you a detailed regular SEO report that summarizes all necessary SEO metrics you need to know about your business.

Everything you need to know about e-Commerce marketing

With many marketing operations now taking place online, it can be tough to decide which e-Commerce marketing strategy is most useful for your business. So before we dive into much detail about the endless options for marketing your product, it is essential to understand that e-Commerce marketing and digital marketing are both inclusive.

Similarly, e-Commerce marketers can use all digital channels to promote their products, attract visitors to their website, facilitate purchases online and grow their business. While SEO results take time to be reflected on search engines, it offers long-term value. So, keep going!

At ePropel we help business owners improve their store and monitor their progress. We will help you implement clear, actionable, prioritized ground-breaking SEO strategies to improve your website performance.

Scan your website with possible SEO issues. No obligation is required.

AVAIL NOW FOR OUR FREE SITE AUDIT TO CHECK YOUR WEBSITE’S SEO SCORE.

Patience is a virtue even in SEO…

As an e-Commerce agency, we have been doing SEO for a long time; the most common client question is, “How long before we are #1 in Google?” We get that.

Here is the harsh truth, there is no such thing as instant SEO results. But once rankings are achieved, it is not easy to fall off Google’s SERP. So how long does it take for results to start kicking in? It takes 4-6 months to see the results and experience an increase in organic traffic to be accurate. ‍

Although most companies want fast and quick results, SEO cannot take effect overnight. It just doesn’t happen like that – SEO doesn’t work instantly. However, if website optimization is built on a right and solid foundation, it should continue to bring relevant organic results not long after the website is optimized.

When it comes to populating the first page in Google, the bottom line is that patience is a virtue. Google is getting smarter recently, and it takes considerable time to prove to Google that your website is worth it. If you successfully make it to the first page, pat yourself on the back. This achievement means that Google has finally found your website credible and valuable.

So, kudos to your dedication and hard work. Allow us to be the first one to say, “Congratulations, all of your SEO efforts have finally paid off!” The main takeaway here is that the work will gradually produce BIG results if the SEO foundation is solid and done right. SEO is a daunting task, but it is a slow but sure process. So trust the process!

Now, let’s talk about the ins and outs of digital marketing

Nowadays, digital marketers use different platforms to generate noise towards their products or services. Let’s face it. Competition among small businesses is fierce. In fact, we frequently witness an uprising every now and then. With that said, digital marketing has never been more relevant and vital for companies to get their business found and thrive online.

A lot of e-Commerce companies are now investing so much effort in telling about their brands or showing off their products in the hope of bringing awareness and attracting more buyers online without spending so much money on advertisements. These are made possible because of the digital marketing strategies they implement on their own.

As the competition online gets more rigid, more and more business owners have difficulty keeping up with competitors. Add in the fact that digital marketing continues to evolve every single day.

This scenario is quite challenging for many businesses to take advantage of the marketing channels available, especially if entrepreneurs are not clear on their starting point and where their company is headed within a given timeframe – it can seem scary, intimidating, and confusing. Add it, for businesses with limited time and resources on hand – it’s often difficult to take advantage of digital marketing channels, which leads to neglect and not taking action to leverage and stay ahead of the curve.

So why does digital marketing matter to your business?

The reasons are simple and clear. To make it easier to understand, let us break them down into tiny bits and pieces.

IT DOESN’T NEED A CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT

e-Commerce marketing won’t break the bank to implement the strategies. If you are new to digital marketing, find suitable channels that work for your business.

IT EFFECTIVELY INCREASES THE CONVERSION RATE

Although e-Commerce marketing doesn’t promise fast results after optimizing the website, it can easily convert subscribers and leads into high-paying customers and repeat clients when done right.

INCREASES YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT

As you get higher conversion rates, it will impact the revenue positively, make more money, and increase your profit margin.

DEFINES AND CLASSIFIES YOUR TARGET MARKET

In business, you need to understand who your target customers are. Speak directly to your ideal target market that can resonate with what you are offering, and in time, your efforts will pay dividends.

BUILDS AND STRENGTHENS YOUR BRAND

Having a brand is not enough. It needs to be promoted and instilled in your potential customer’s minds, which means getting your brand in front of them and winning their trust to increase your credibility. The greater brand awareness your business has, the higher the chances to convert website visitors into paying customers.

SHARE QUALITY CONTENT ABOUT THE COMPANY ACROSS DIFFERENT PLATFORMS

SEO and digital marketing involve the optimization of your content. Creating content and sharing them on different digital media platforms make you look like an industry expert. Being so is an advantage because it will give you an instant upper hand on competitors.

Ready, set, let’s go!

If you don’t have an SEO and digital marketing system in place, what are you waiting for? Now that you know the ins and outs of e-Commerce marketing, let’s discuss how you can build a successful business strategy for your online store.

Set realistic long-term goals for the business.

Break down long-term goals into actionable steps.

Keep your new and existing customers happy.

Keep your new and existing customers happy. Like other relationships, the business relationship is about establishing mutual trust. Nurturing your customers will solidify your business’s future success, avoid customer churn, and increase client satisfaction.

Pandemic lockdown is a blessing in disguise to small businesses...

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, making it difficult to stay afloat, especially for startup business owners during trying times like what we are going through right now. With the influx of COVID-19 worldwide, many businesses that were severely affected are now out of business. ‍ The ones believed as temporary closures became permanent shutdowns delivering a gut punch to business owners across various ranges of industries. Despite the reopening to new normal, thousands of small businesses are still struggling to get their heads above water. ‍ On the flip side, e-Commerce businesses have been turbo-charged by the pandemic. Coronavirus restrictions forced people to stay at home and avoid leaving their houses unless absolutely necessary. With more consumers needing to physically distance and local stores changing their in-store operations due to daunting COVID-19 case counts, the option to shop online became the best alternative to many.

Turn your dry pipeline into a well of golden opportunity

Pandemic has changed the way people shop and accelerated the digital world’s shift where business interactions and transactions are done online. The compulsory measure to arrest the virus caused the most significant change to online shopping. ‍ But our difficult circumstance goes to show that every cloud has a silver lining. The strict stay-at-home combined with physical distancing orders led many people to shy away from physical stores, sweeping more virtual and e-Commerce businesses off their feet. ‍ If you have the right mindset, you can see a dry pipeline as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to innovate, restructure, shift priorities and take advantage of the new trends of commercial opportunities brought on by the unprecedented times. That’s right.

According to recent surveys, retail e-Commerce sales soared to an all-time high during the global pandemic. The challenging situation we are in right now is perhaps the MOST ironic. Do you agree?

A dry sales pipeline compels businesses to perform into exploration mode, try new things, and accelerate the learning curve. So, despite the economic fallout, COVID-19 helped drive e-Commerce sales up to 97% compared to the pre-pandemic season. 

This enormous growth of e-Commerce means competition, which means that e-Commerce companies struggle to get new clients because of too much rivalry online. Sounds like you?

GET A FREE AUDIT TO CHECK WHAT’S HOLDING YOUR WEBSITE BACK FROM ITS POTENTIAL TO GET RANKED AND NOTICED.

Supercharge your e-Commerce site search to get more traffic

So as COVID-19 spikes and restrictions remain uncertain, today is the perfect time to jumpstart boosting your e-Commerce business. If you think your company doesn’t need SEO, think again! As the pandemic continues to reshape our world, many consumers turn to e-Commerce to purchase the items they need and become accustomed to the convenience of shopping from home.

The dramatic shift from in-store shopping to massive buying online is expected to have lasting effects on the consumers’ shopping preferences, even when things go back to a pre-COVID-19 way of life. The prediction is that online shopping is here to stay even when the pandemic is over. So, grab the chance to get discovered by your potential customers and dominate your niche.

Don’t just launch your e-Commerce store; leave it sitting online and wait for orders to come through. Sorry not sorry – this is not how it works. Flow in orders and sales won’t come unless you get the word out there and let the people know about what you are offering. Letting your website die in the vine and not doing anything is like throwing your money away since no one will see this website of yours. Your website is not getting any leads that you needed to scale your business.

In the digital era, setting your e-Commerce website is the easiest part of the process. The difficult step is how to get attention and convert the leads into loyal customers. We offer e-Commerce marketing services to maximize reach and transform your shop into a retail store’s powerhouse.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO SEE HOW YOU CAN SKYROCKET YOUR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS GROWTH AMID TIGHT COMPETITION.

Step up in your SEO game. Why not?

First, let us make a recap. Website optimization through SEO strategies is the game-changer for ranking high on Google, capturing new leads, and increasing your revenue in the future. If your brand has high visibility online, it fuels more sales for your business.

After e-Commerce store launching is completed, don’t sit back yet. Instead, invest your efforts into turning your website into a lead magnet and acquire more customers straight from your website. Even a pandemic can’t slow down your e-Commerce business if you have the right SEO in place.

To reiterate, taking your business online is totally different from creating a website. Every effort we make to improve our website’s performance leads to revenue in some way.

So, if you want to leverage your business, keep this in mind:

Your e-Commerce website becomes the marketplace where customers learn about your products and services and make pre-purchase decisions. The customers also carry out commercial transactions like buying or selling on the platform itself.

SEO is a non-negotiable strategy for an effective e-Commerce marketing

The pandemic has turned several businesses upside down. If your e-Commerce store was hit hard by this Coronavirus outbreak and has experienced a massive decline in traffic and conversion, it’s time to do the work. Yes, you heard it right!

Don’t wait for things to get better before you put in the work. While everything is slow, it is the perfect time to restructure, which includes improving your SEO and utilizing digital marketing platforms to skyrocket your sales, outrank your competitors, and get back on track when the pandemic is over.

Sounds good? Here’s how to get started:

Declutter your website pages. Remove irrelevant pages that were created without a strategy, including those that got obsolete over time. Although Google indexed them, they don’t matter to your business anymore. So better delete the non-essentials – having less is more. ‍

Only publish high-quality content. It was once a fad that producing heaps of content was the key to rank. But things have changed. The rule of thumb is to go for quality over quantity. Today, Google is more focused on the VALUE you are providing to the online readers. So, when publishing content, keep posting less but highly informative and keyword-rich articles. Then, you are good to go! ‍

Utilize other platforms like Amazon and App stores. Explore other websites that your audience is searching and don’t just restrict your efforts to rank in Google alone. Look beyond and seize every opportunity you have. The goal here is to maximize your online visibility to get found by an impending flood of virtual customers. ‍

Level up your website’s on-page SEO. On-page SEO is the key to improving your brand visibility, achieving a surge in organic traffic, and whatnot. On-page SEO is done by optimizing and adding keywords to the individual page on your website. If done correctly, it has the potential to improve your website rankings in Google and reach your target audience over time. ‍

Improve visitor’s dwelling time by creating engaging content.‍ Dwelling time is the amount of time users spend on your website before they go back to check out other results in the search engine. Adding high value, quality, informative and engaging content will increase your chances of converting visitors into potential customers and avoid leaving before they get to your website. ‍

Switch your website to Google’s mobile-first index.‍ To simplify, Google prioritizes indexing sites that are mobile-first indexing compatible. As Google adapts to the growing use of mobile worldwide, Google bots prioritize crawling and indexing sites with compatibility with mobile-first indexing and mobile SEO in general. ‍

Amp up your technical SEO. The main goal here is to optimize the primary infrastructure of your website. Technical SEO has nothing to do with your content. The most simplified definition of the process requires Speed, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), and JavaScript, to name a few. Improving your technical SEO allows the search engines to access, crawl, interpret and index your website without any problems.

Fill your sales pipeline with warm leads

As Google rankings increasingly become tougher, it is important to understand what your audience likes and preferences as a whole. Since most people now are spending most of their time on their smartphones, it is good to invest your efforts in identifying the suitable medium to engage and nurture relationships with your visitors and create content that adds value to them.

Take note that shoppers are spending more hours researching the items they want to buy online. If they highly consider your product, they will temporarily add them to the cart and buy it later. According to surveys, it takes about two weeks before they make the purchase decision.

As part of the sales process, newly found leads need warming up before they are ripe for conversion. The content you add to your website attracts potential customers. You can keep them engaged by giving them steam of quality content that will keep them coming back and increase their genuine interest as they move closer to making buying decisions. Most potential buyers are not only are searching online for the products they want to buy online but are also looking for answers to their questions.

Yes, it’s true. Almost all the customers have curious queries, so create content that is engaging and informative. Strive to satisfy their curiosity and meet them at every level of their research – from product discovery, comparisons with other products, and reviews from previous clients.

Aside from getting a paying customer when you add value to your audience journey, you will also get a fresh ranking boost from Google. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. So don’t settle for mediocre content; go for quality content that will help you stand out, pull visitors into your funnel, warm them as prospects, and eventually, fill your pipeline with qualified hot leads.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO SCALE YOUR E-COMMERCE WEBSITE UP. BOOK A STRATEGY CALL WITH US NOW!

Final words

SEO is a critical need by e-Commerce businesses nowadays. There is no other way to move forward your e-Commerce business faster and get better ROI than optimizing your website. As an e-Commerce digital marketing agency, we will get the results for you while you focus on your business. Choosing your e-Commerce digital marketing agency is a matter of life and death. It could help you succeed or fail in your SEO campaigns. So choose wisely. Your choice in hiring the right e-Commerce SEO agency matters because it either catapults your e-Commerce store to brilliant new levels of success or pulls your business a giant step backward.

Partner with ePropel, and guaranteed, your business is in good hands. We have what it takes to help your business grow. We will unleash your e-Commerce to its full potential allowing your website to get more traffic, exponentially increase your revenue and gain more repeat businesses online. So whether you want to increase your profit or get your brand out there, ePropel’s e-Commerce marketing services will help achieve your business’s goals to succeed within a target audience.

ePropel is an SEO agency that helps companies to accelerate their website’s organic visitors through our proven 3-step system. Our team has more than 20 years of experience and are driven to deliver exceptional results for our clients.

[angelanimedesaray]

Through The Looking Glass Chapter 1: Soft and Warm

AN:  Yaaaaaayyyy this idea came to me like lightning in the middle of the night and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since :) :) :) Hope you all enjoy it, cause we’re starting out super soft here :)  Also, quick note…Levi and Reader are both little little.

Characters:  Levi, Reader, Reader’s Mom, Mentions of Reader’s Dad

Pairing:  (Eventual) Levi x Reader

Warnings:  Mentions of Canon Death, mentions of starvation, feels/fluff.

Word Count:  5154

Masterlist    Next Chapter--->

*Levi’s POV*

At first, Levi thought he’d gone blind.

He had been in that same small, dark room, watching everything he knew and cared about wasting away until all that was left to shrivel and die was himself.  Just as he thought he would die next, forgotten in the corner of the same room his mother had died, the world around him suddenly turned bright–too bright.  It was like he had stared directly into a large fire until his sight was burned away, the intensity surprisingly unmatched by the sharp contrast in scent that hit him next.  It was…clean, cleaner than anything he’d ever experienced.  There wasn’t a whiff of decay or rot, of waste or sweat in the air.  Just freshness, something floral, something…pure?  He had no words for it, so alien was the sensation for him.

With a raspy hiss, Levi tried to cover his eyes with his hands, curling into himself as he tried to adjust, to figure out what was happening to him.

A high pitched squeak directly above him made Levi look up sharply, wide eyes blinking and squinting against the bright light to see what was above him.  Gradually, as the light adjusted above him, what came into view was the face of a little girl, staring at him with equally wide eyes over the edge of the foot of the bed.  The two stared at each other for a moment that seemed to stretch forever before Levi broke the tension.

Not knowing who the girl was, where he was, or why it was so bright and clean, or what brought him here, Levi tried to get away, pushing weakly against a soft surface that seemed to give and shift slightly under his hands and feet.  What was this?

“Wait!” the girl said, her head peeking further over the edge as she stared at him.  Levi froze, one hand hovering over the soft covering over the floor.  Was it…a really large rug?

“Are you hungry?”

Levi stared at her.  Was he…of course he was hungry, wasn’t she looking at him?  Couldn’t she see?

She bounded off the bed so suddenly, Levi scrambled back again, his back pressing against the wall.  She seemed to be oblivious to his discomfort and alarm, bouncing in her steps towards the room’s door.

“I know how to make mac n’ cheese, my mom just made rolls, and–Stay here, I’ll bring food.”

And just like that, she had disappeared out the door.  No other kind of explanation, just a quickly spoken order…that he was not going to follow.

Getting up on shaky legs, Levi left the room with a second thought, finding himself in a dim hallway next to a flight of stairs he started to carefully make his way down, clinging to the wooden railing for stability along the way.  He was hoping to figure out where he was, and then…then…

What did he do, then?  He didn’t have anywhere to go.  His mother was dead.  No one else cared about him, there was nowhere he could go for help, he was too weak to do anything himself.  Why was he even bothering to move if there was nothing left for him to do but waste away and die?

Letting go of the railing, Levi dropped onto the bottom step, leaning against the stairwell wall with his eyes cast down, gazing at nothing except the dark green rug that even covered the stairs.

A sudden clunking sound and a muffled shout caused Levi’s head to jerk back up instinctually, turning towards the source of the sound and peering past the edge of the stairwell to see the girl on her knees on a countertop, a cabinet door open and some kind of container trapped between the wooden side of the counter and the girl’s hand.  She had a roll of bread stuffed in her mouth, which was why her shout had been muffled, and she was leaning back down to set the container back on the counter top, too focused on what she was doing to realize she had an audience.

Curious, Levi got back up, keeping close to the wall and trying to stay out of sight as he watched the girl stretch to reach a small box on the top shelf of the open cabinet, fingers straining upwards and gradually coaxing the small box into her hand.  Once the small box and the container she’d almost dropped were on the counter, she shut the cabinet and slid–still on her knees–down to the other end of the counter, opening another overhead cabinet and adding two glass cups and a shiny bowl to her collection before finally hopping down off of the counter.

She turned, bread roll still stuffed in her mouth but looking smaller like she’d been nibbling on it this entire time, and paused when she saw Levi, who froze in place.  She pouted like she was about to complain that he’d left the room, but then seemed to change her mind, reaching for something he couldn’t see on the other side of a silvery box and coming back with another roll in her hand.  She offered it to Levi, hand stretched out between them.

“Here.”  When he didn’t immediately take it, she waved it at him.  “Here.  It’s for you.  It’ll take a few minutes for the mac n’ cheese, so you should–”

She cut off as Levi snatched the bread roll from her hand, tearing into it without any further hesitation, scarfing it down so fast he barely had time to register the fact it was still warm, buttery on the bottom, the slightest hint of flour on top.  And suddenly the pain in his stomach became much more real, ravenous and demanding more.

She blinked in surprise at him, then grabbed another roll, which Levi scarfed down just as quickly.  “You’re really hungry.”  Levi ignored her obvious statement, eyeing her as she kicked a step stool over towards her to get back up on the counter.  This time she was getting a small clear bowl, and she almost dropped it, a sharp squeak escaping her before she caught it midair on reflex, sliding off the counter in relief and setting down her chewed on roll before she started trying to open the large container she’d almost dropped earlier.

“My mom says not to eat too fast or you’ll get a tummy ache,” she said as she struggled to open it, nearly falling to the side when the lid finally gave.  She started pouring its contents into the small clear bowl, still talking even though Levi hadn’t said a word so far.  “Maybe these will help–You can’t eat ‘em fast cause they’re…um…well, they’re nuts.  Who eats salty nuts fast?”

Why would he care about any of that?  What was a stomach ache compared to the hunger he’d been suffering from?

After handing him the little bowl now filled with nuts–some he didn’t even recognize–she passed him to open a large white box that he was standing near, a gust of cold air making him shiver and back away.  It didn’t last long, though, because once she had what she wanted–a jug of what he thought might be milk, though he’d never seen it in a container like that–she kicked the door shut behind her, and the cold air disappeared as quickly as it had reached him.

As the girl started pouring milk for the both of them, Levi started in on the bowl of nuts–quickly at first, but soon slowed down just like the girl had said as the salty and dry nuts made it harder and harder to eat them in large doses.  When he coughed after trying to swallow a handful with difficulty, the girl offered him one of the cups of milk, the glass cool to the touch, and the cold milk was refreshing, soothing parched lips and a dry mouth, helping the salty nuts go down easier.  He finished the first glass without stopping, and the girl simply pushed her untouched glass towards him when he was done, kicking around the step stool again as she tried to look into a pan that was on…another counter?  It looked different from the rest, and there was steam coming out of the pan, so was it some kind of oven?  Where was the fire?

Levi stayed where he was, finishing his milk and nuts while he watched the girl open the smaller box from earlier and pour its contents into the pan, causing steam to billow into the air.  He continued to watch her in silence as she stirred whatever she’d poured into the pan, shuffled over to another spot on the counter to drain the steaming water into a basin, grabbed the milk to add a splash into the pan, poured some kind of orange powdery stuff inside, and added a small chunk of butter before mixing it all together, her tongue sticking out and working side to side as she stirred.  After a few minutes of this, she turned the pan and emptied its goopy orange contents into the shiny bowl she’d grabbed earlier, putting the now empty pan and the rest of their accumulated dishes into the sink before grabbing the bowl and a fork from inside one of the drawers.

“There–mac n’ cheese,” she said cheerfully, offering the still-steaming bowl to him.

He reached out to take it, eyes wide at how much was in the bowl, but pulled sharply back with a hiss when he felt the heat of the bottom of the bowl burn his fingers.  He’d expected the bowl to be warm, but not that hot.

“Oh, sorry.  I’m used to it hot,” she apologized, reaching over and grabbing a towel off the counter to wad up underneath the bowl before she offered it to him again.  “Better?” she asked after he’d taken it from her.  He gave a small nod, watching the steam rising from the bowl.  If it was too hot for him to touch, he doubted he’d be able to eat it without burning his mouth.

His stomach twisted painfully again, the smell of…of the mac n’ cheese, as she’d called it, wafting into his nose and promptly swaying him to try eating it anyway.

The first spoonful was hot, but not as bad as he thought it was going to be.  Even if he’d never heard of mac n’ cheese before, it tasted good.  It warmed him all the way through while he ate, gooey but not mushy, and surprisingly filling for how the girl had made it seem simple to make.  Still, Levi ate every last bite, feeling warm and full for the first time in a long time.

The girl sat quietly across from him the whole time, simply watching him eat while she nibbled on the same roll she’d had stuffed in her mouth when he came down the stairs.  Considering she’d been talking at him since she’d seen him, her silence was almost unnerving, and as he neared the last few bites of the mac n’ cheese she’d made him, he started watching her, seeing if she was going to do something else or speak up.

Popping the last morsel of her roll into her mouth when he was finally finished, she leaned forward, palms planted firmly on the ground in front of her and staring at him intently, studying him.

“Do you talk?” she asked finally.

“Yeah,” he replied, eyebrows crinkling together in confusion and his throat sore from disuse.  Why wouldn’t he talk?

She leaned back in surprise.  “Oh, you do.  Good!” she said with a firm nod.  “I’m Y/N.”

“Levi.”

The girl’s head tilted to the side, still looking at him curiously.  “Where d–”

The sound of a door opening in another room, followed by the sound of a woman’s voice calling out her name.  She jumped with a squeak, taking the bowl from Levi and ushering him behind her, towards a door that was to the right of the kitchen.

“Hide!  Over–out–there!” Y/N said quickly and quietly, giving him light pushes towards the door before she put the bowl in the sink.  Not knowing why he was supposed to be hiding but knowing better than to waste time asking why, Levi stumbled over to the door, legs still shaky, opening the door and sliding through once it was cracked open, shutting it quickly behind him.

He stood facing the door, hands still on the knob as he listened to what was happening on the other side.

“What are you doing in here?” came the woman’s voice, slightly muffled through the door.

“I got hungry, so I made mac n’ cheese,” Y/N said guiltily.

“It’s almost dinner time, you should have waited!”

“I was really hungry.”

“Well, if you already ate, I guess that means you won’t need dinner tonight.  And you better do those dishes, right now.”

“Yes, Mom.”

At that point, Levi turned around to see what room he was hiding in, squinting in surprise at how much brighter it was out here, as well as warmer, and there was a different kind of fresh smell–the earthy smell was familiar to him, but this one wasn’t necessarily…dirty.

It looked like he was in an indoor porch, windows wrapping around the three walls in front of and on either side of him, finally letting Levi see what was outside the house he’d found himself in.  There were no candles or lanterns on the porch, all the ruddy light seemed to be filtering in through the windows, and outside the porch…

Carefully, Levi made his way to the second door, pulling down on the slender handle to open the lighter feeling door–one that wasn’t made of wood, he noticed in passing–and stepping out into the light.  He had to squint again, a hand raising to shield his eyes as his bare feet found purchase one stone step, another…and then the tickle of soft green blades of grass and cool dirt against his feet, toes wiggling experimentally through the grass while his head tilted upwards.

There wasn’t a ceiling.  There were thick and thin trees with branches reaching high above him, their leaves blocking part of his view of the sky that blended from blue to purple, from orange to red in colors he hadn’t known the world around him could make.  He tried to take a few more steps to get out from under the trees and look at the open sky, but his legs gave out under him, palms burying in the grass in front of him and fingers digging into the earth.

Was this…the surface?  Had he fallen asleep and somehow ended up above ground?  Was this what was lying just above that dark ceiling all his life?

A soft breeze passed him, rustling the tangled mess that was his hair and the too-large shirt that hardly did anything to protect from a chill, but the breeze felt good in contrast to the warm air.  Levi simply sat on the ground and listened, hearing birds chirp, leaves rustling, bugs making a buzz of different noises, wide eyes fixated on what he could see of a color changing sky above him once he’d adjusted to the light.

He didn’t move until the smack of the door being roughly pushed open caught his attention, head turning to see Y/N coming out the front door with a bundle of blankets wrapped around her shoulders, arm, and most of her head, leg kicking a stray strand up into the air to catch on her arms as she waddled out the door.  She didn’t head towards him, but instead approached a miniature, plain wooden house Levi had failed to notice tucked by one of the trees.  It looked hardly big enough to have one tiny room that fit both of them, and he wondered what the point of such a tiny house was.  It had a little porch, windows, doors, and everything, even some sad-looking flowers in a flower box under its two tiny windows.  As he watched, Y/N managed to get the door open, sticking her upper half inside but keeping her feet firmly planted on the porch as she dropped the pile of blankets into the house, reappearing with her hair poofy and frazzled from having the blankets wrapped around her head.  She was also blushing as she looked at Levi, brushing hair out of her face.

“You can’t hide in my room so I brought stuff out here for you,” she said sheepishly.  “I’ll be back!”

With that, she had disappeared again.  Levi watched her go back and forth between the little house and the big house, bringing far more blankets than he’d ever seen one person own and even some very plush looking pillows–at least to him.  Then, on the last trip, she brought out a slender bottle, one last pillow, and a stuffed bear, kicking off her shoes on the little porch before disappearing inside for several long minutes.

Finally, her head poked out the door, gaze fixed on him.  “Okay, it’s ready!  Get in here!”

Levi hesitated, thinking of all the clean blankets she carried out with care to avoid letting them drag along the ground and the fact she’s kicked off her shoes before slipping inside, looking down at his own filthy state.

She huffed, coming over to him with nearly pranced movements as she tiptoes in her socks over to him, wrapping a hand in his own without any hesitation and pulling him up onto his feet.  “Come on, before my mom sees us!”  She seemed a little surprised when Levi stumbled into her, but she simply steadied him and kept dragging him confidently forward.  “I brought all the spare blankets I could find and as many pillows my mom won’t notice missing.”

She ducked inside the little house, pulling him inside close behind her, hand still wrapped around his own.  Once inside, instead of being met with a hard wooden floor, he found himself surrounded by soft warmth.  She had covered every inch of the inside floor of the little house with blankets, pillows, and then more blankets, enough so that he didn’t really feel the hard floor beneath him, just the soft, fluffy fabrics.  He felt a stab of guilt when his dirty feet left a smeared stain on one of the lighter blankets, but Y/N didn’t seem to mind, crawling out of his way with a very pleased smile on her face, looking like she was going to bounce out of her skin as she watched his reaction.

“I brought water in case you get thirsty, this blanket is to cover up when it’s bedtime, and this,” she added, pointing towards the three slender bottles sitting in one of the corners and a rather large and extremely fluffy blanket respectively, before she shyly produced the stuffed bear he’d seen her bring out earlier, stretching out to offer the stuffed toy to him.  “This is Tuff–my daddy sent him from where he’s away fighting bad people.  He helps me feel better, and I thought he might do the same for you,” she said, her face turning a bright red.

Levi took the bear carefully from her, thumbs running across the soft, fake fur and noting the unfamiliar flag stitched onto its arm and the heart stitched onto its chest.  He wasn’t entirely sure if she really wanted him to have it, but she hadn’t yanked it back out of his hands yet, so he figured so far it was okay for him to be holding the toy.

Placing the bear in his lap, his grip tightened slightly on the stuffed animal.  “Why are you being so nice to me?” he asked quietly, voice still scratchy.

Y/N’s head tilted to the side in confusion.  “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Y/N!” the woman’s voice faintly called from the main house, interrupting the brief silence that had followed Y/N’s answer.  She scrambled to her feet at her mother’s call, hitting her head on the lower part of the roof with a sharp ‘ow’ and rubbing her head.

“I have to go!” she said, trying not to trip on the blankets as she scrambled for the door.  “I’ll see you in the morning!”

Just like that, she was gone, leaving Levi alone in the little house, watching through one of the windows as she ran back into her big house, shoes in hand instead of on her feet.

Once she was out of sight, Levi turned his attention back to the tiny house, eyeing the bottles of water in the corner.  It took him a few moments to unscrew the lid–which was on tighter than he was expecting it to be–and he only drank half of the first bottle for now, but the cool water was just as refreshing, if not more so, than the milk he’d had earlier.

Y/N had said she wouldn’t be back until the morning, so…all that was left for him to do was to sleep, right?

Laying down on the blankets and pulling the one she’d pointed out earlier, the bear tucked against him in his arms, he found himself cocooned in soft warmth that seemed to seep into his very bones.  He snuggled deeper into his fluffy surroundings, eyes heavy with a sudden exhaustion as he squeezed the bear closer to him–something that he did get an odd sort of comfort from doing.

But then the thought…what if this is all a dream?  What if after he fell asleep, when he woke up, this was all gone?  The fear of everything around him disappearing if he went to sleep seized him, and suddenly he found it impossible to close his eyes, even if his surroundings were the most comfortable he’d ever experienced in his life.

He did find some peace in the fact that, from where he was lying in the little house, he could stare out the window and watch the sky shift its colors, growing gradually darker and darker.  When it was too dark to see anything outside, in the distance, soft lights started to speckle the sky, and instead of sleeping, Levi watched them appear and twinkle in the sky with wonder.

*Reader POV*

Freshly washed, changed into pajamas, read a story, and tucked in, you were supposed to be ready for bed.  The excitement and thrill of your little secret in the playhouse, however, was too powerful to let you close your eyes and sleep.

The boy, Levi–you had no idea where he came from, you just knew that you’d heard a sound at the foot of your bed while coloring and had peeked over the edge to see a very thin, dirty boy with shaggy black hair and faded blue eyes.  He looked like he hadn’t ate anything a day in his life, which was why the first question you’d asked was if he’d been hungry.  He looked at you like you were stupid for asking the question, but he hadn’t said anything about it being a stupid question, which you figured made it better.  Plus it had answered your question.  Watching him eat and drink everything you gave him made you feel sad for him, wondering when the last time he had eaten was.  Where were his mom and dad?  How had he ended up in your bedroom?  Was he warm enough out in the playhouse?  Did he have enough blankets, enough water?  Was he going to need more food?

Was he lonely out there, in the dark with no night light and no one he knew?  You had the comfort of knowing your mother was down the hall, even if your father wasn’t going to be home for some time.  But he might actually be alone.  He’d looked so frail, clutching your favorite teddy bear, sitting there in an oversized shirt curled up in a ball, staring at everything around him like he’d never seen it before.  Was he scared and lonely outside now?  He didn’t have anyone to tuck him in or read him a story, and it got dark out in that playhouse at night if you didn’t have any lamps or flashlights with you.

The thought of the boy scared and all alone outside made you throw back the covers, bare feet quietly tiptoeing across the carpet as you sought out one of your bedtime story books, a flashlight, another pillow, and another stuffed animal.  Once you had your goodies, you very quietly slipped out into the hall, shutting your bedroom door behind you as slowly and quietly as possible as you watched the bottom of your parents’ bedroom door in case the light came on.  The stairs were the hardest part, and you had to try not to step on any creaky boards all the way down the stairs, hoping that if you did, the carpet would muffle the sound enough not to wake your mother.

You were pretty much in the clear once you were downstairs as long as you didn’t slam any doors, so you moved quickly and eagerly out of the house and across the lawn, taking care to knock softly on your playhouse door instead of busting through it in the middle of the night so you didn’t scare Levi.

“Levi?” you whispered, opening the door just a crack and seeing a shape move in the darkness against the ground.  “Are you still awake?”

There was a moment of silence that made you think he was either fast asleep or you’d accidentally woken him up, but then his scratchy voice came from somewhere off to your left in the dark playhouse.

“I am.”

With his confirmation, you slipped inside the playhouse and shut the door behind you, dropping your pillow, stuffed animal, and book somewhere off to your right and holding the flashlight in your hand–still turned off.

“Why are you out here?” Levi asked, more movement coming from your left.

“I didn’t want you to be alone,” you said simply, feeling a shyness spread through you at the admission.  “Cover your eyes, this’ll be bright.”

You waited a few seconds just to be sure he followed your instructions, then flipped on the flashlight, the beam pointed downwards as you felt for the little hook your father put into the middle of the roof to hang blankets and flashlights from to make little blanket forts inside.  Levi was partially sitting up, Tuff lying next to him, covered by the blanket you’d given him, a hand over his eyes still as he tried to get used to the light again.  He looked so…tiny, and frail.  Like an injured bird in the corner of a cardboard box.

Picking up the book you’d brought out with you, you showed him the cover, offering him a smile.  “Besides–I can read you a bedtime story.  Everyone likes those, and they help you sleep,” you said cheerfully.  Honestly, you just wanted to make sure he was all right.  You wanted to make sure there was someone to tuck him in and tell him goodnight, to make him feel safe and secure, not alone in a strange place in the dark.

“I don’t need one.”

His statement made you wilt, some of that excitement draining out of you.  Oh…if he didn’t like bedtime stories, then…what were you going to do?

Levi shifted uncomfortably at your crestfallen face.  “But you can still read it.”

And just like that you had perked up again.  “Really?”

When he didn’t say anything else, you took that as consent, happily grabbing your pillow and moving it over next to his, pulling your other favorite stuffed animal up with you and finding the edge of the blankets so you knew where it was.  Once everything was set up, you reached up and took the flashlight off the hook, crawling under the blanket with a slightly startled Levi and throwing the blanket over your heads so it was just the two of you lying on pillows, the book sitting between the two of you as you held the flashlight over it so the two of you could see the pictures.  Levi was watching the flashlight with that same wide eyed curiosity you’d seen him looking at the sky with earlier.

Without any more messing around, you eagerly launched into reading aloud The Velveteen Rabbit for both of you, flashlight held rather close to the book so that it wasn’t too bright under the blanket–just enough for you to read.  Levi was somewhat propped up on his elbows at first while he listened to you reading aloud the story of the stuffed rabbit who longed to be loved enough by a child to become real, though by the time you reached the part where the boy began to love the rabbit so much his shine and splendidness started to fade, Levi was laying down, eyelids looking heavy with sleep like he was liable to nod off at any moment.  You kept reading, though, hoping he’d stay awake long enough to at least hear about how, after the rabbit was made really real by a toy fairy, he saw the little boy again.

As you read, you felt your own eyes getting droopy, now that you knew Levi wasn’t alone because you were here to read to him and tuck him in, the worry had faded and sleep was starting to creep in, your head nodding back and forth as you struggled to stay awake and finish the story.

You finished the story with a huge yawn, closing the book and looking up to see that Levi was pretty much asleep, eyes slightly cracked open with a glazed look, and his eyelids were starting to close even as you looked at him.  You shut off the flashlight with a light snap, setting the book and flashlight above your pillow so it wouldn’t get in the way as you snuggled into the nest of blankets you’d made Levi, gently pulling the blanket back from over your heads so the two of you could breathe the fresh air instead of the stuffy air under the covers.  You were both curled up, thinking how this pile of pillows and blankets was comfier and warmer than your bed inside, just enough room in the playhouse for both you and Levi to be curled up next to each other, Tuff clutched to Levi’s chest while your other stuffed animal was tucked in the crook of your arm, Levi facing the window while you had your back to it.

“Goodnight, Levi,” you managed to murmur out before the feeling of being wrapped up in a fluffy, warm cloud became too much to resist, and you slipped into a blissful sleep.

Next Chapter--->

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Tags:  @humanitys-hottestsoldier​ @kaz2y5-pie​ @fanartdom​ @tartheyes @super-peace-fangirl​

[chaoswillfallrpg]

SEBASTIEN FONTAINE is TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD and an ESCORT at FAIR FARIBAULT’S in KNOCKTURN ALLEY. He looks remarkably like CHARLES MELTON and considers himself  NEUTRAL. He is currently TAKEN. 

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death

True love can be shown in many different ways, through lavish gifts or quietly whispered words of affection, but to HUGO and ANTOINETTE FONTAINE their love was shown through the small looks they gave one another across the rooms at high-class parties and functions. A single look between the pair could convey a thousand feelings of love, comfort and need for the other and all of their friends could see it, those that were unmatched themselves would prey upon Merlin himself to have a love that shined even as half as brightly as that of the Fontaines. Blessed with a silver spoon since birth, Hugo created a potions empire for the couple to never want for anything financially. However, all the silver spoons in the world could not offer them their deepest desire. A child. Years of trying and failing, even with the beautiful looks and grace her veela blood offered her, the one thing she truly desired was still out of reach. Finally pregnant Antoinette was well into her third trimester when she wanted to ease her fears for the child so she took it upon herself to get some reassurance about the birth. Waiting for Hugo to leave for work she went to visit a well-known seer in the area VANA RAYNE to see if the woman could see her child’s future. The seer spoke of a fork in the road, there was a choice to be made in regards to the life within Antionette, only one would survive the day of his birth and Antoinette was adamant it would be the child, happy to give her life so that Hugo could raise their child with the love of both parents. 

The day her waters broke Antoinette was rushed to the nearest wizarding hospital and slyly passed a note to the head midwife there, requesting that if it came to a choice between her and her son, they would choose to save his life, knowing that Hugo may not be in the right state of mind to make that decision himself. Complications came and Hugo showed his true colours, he loved Antoinette with all his heart and demanded she be saved, not caring for the babe within her. Keeping to her wishes the midwife saved the baby and his mother died with him in her arms, Hugo, distraught, pushed the baby away when the midwife tried to hand him over and that day set the tone for the rest of Sebastiens upbringing. Raised by the house elves and his tutors Sebastien saw little of his father, and what he did see he wished he hadn’t. The only interaction between father and son was cold looks and harsh words for Hugo didn’t see the light of Antoinette that shined within the boy, he only saw her cold unmoving body whenever his eyes were set upon his son. His childhood was a lonely one, after his wife’s death Hugo closed himself off from all of their friends thus closing Sebastien off too, all the other children would play together at parties and Sebastiens only friends were his house elves and the characters in the story books his tutors read to him on an evening. Alone and unhappy Sebastien longed for the day that this nightmare would end. That day came in the form of a sunny Tuesday in May when he received his letter to study at Beauxbatons allowing him the opportunity to be far away from his fathers indifference and cultivate a life for himself outside of the Fontaine family walls. 

Leaving for Beauxbatons his father gave him little in the way of comfort nor did he offer the boy a single hug or pat on the back, the only words of wisdom he offered before apparating on the spot was this; ‘make good connections amongst the Pure-Blood elite, you’re going to need them later in life.’ Stepping in that carriage and setting off was like stepping into a new life, a new opportunity to prove his worth to his father and also make some friends that weren’t small with big ears and there to serve him. Becoming close with a boy in his house Sebastien made his very first friend in ALEXANDER TREMBLAY, a Pure-Blood boy with an appetite for the finer things in life he brought Sebastien out of his shell. Finding his personality with this boy, Sebastien went from a scared little boy to embracing his new life and although he would always be quiet and reserved it was no longer out of fear of rejection, it was instead to revel in his new reality. Through Alexander Sebastien was introduced to other rich socialites MIRA IYER and ALEXANDRA ROSIER creating an exclusive group of students that ruled the school. Alexandra was the queen of the group and Sebastien was happy to follow, pleased that he had both fulfilled his fathers wish and also made a group of friends he loved and adored. Coming out of his shell at Beauxbatons had also led him to notice the looks he would receive on a daily basis, many looked at him with lust-filled eyes that he had to put down to the veela blood running through his veins. Although Sebastien clearly had many admirers there was only one girl for him as Alexandra made it clear to all the others that he was hers.

Happy in his relationship and his group of friends Sebastien thrived in school, he became known for his strong and silent nature but those close to him knew him to be soft and kind when needed. The person who knew that most was Mira, Alexandra’s right hand woman and the girl she usually took the brunt of her annoyance out on Mira was someone Sebastien related to well. Wanting the approval of Alexandra the same way he needed the approval of his father led to the pair creating a bond, whenever Alexandra was too harsh or cutting towards Mira he would always be there to squeeze her hand in comfort of whisper reassuring words her way. It was well-known around school that Andra was a piece of work, and although her inner circle often saw a different side to her it was the face she showed to the rest of the school that lead to Sebastien and his other friends having to follow her lead and be cruel towards her biggest rival CLAUDETTE DELACOUR. A pretty girl that Sebastien didn’t know well enough to discuss; he acted cold towards her to comfort Andra’s insecurities. Her coldness only became much more apparent when tragedy hit the Rosier family and her father died, Andra came back to school after the death even more cruel and cutting than before, and although Sebastien could see through her coldness to the kind, witty and insecure girl beneath her sharp words and her savage demeanor began to take its toll on their relationship. Evident that Andra had the weight of her family’s name pressing down on her shoulders she began to close Sebastien out, her aspirations of furthering her families name in Pure-Blood society held no space for a Half-Veela boyfriend and so she cast him aside. 

Desperate to get out of France and away from his heartache and the pressures surrounding the Fontaine name Sebastien moved to London and started working at Fair Faribaults, an escort agency who dealt with rich Pure-Blood clientele. Having a business venture in need of financial backing Sebastiens plan was to use his veela allure to lure in rich backers since his father wouldn’t give him the funds he needed. Working at the agency he became friends with the owner GEORGINE FARIBAULT and renowned vampire DAHLIA BLACKWOOD who was beautiful and rich but whose story scared Sebastien too much for him to ask for backing from her. He also met fellow escort CONSTANCE SONG, a veela like himself the girl had many of his own qualities, quiet and reserved he saw a lot of himself in her, yet when she spoke her words were cutting and cruel. The pair became obsessed with beating one another at their own game, both using their good-looks and strong silent personalities to lure in customers they began to compete for the title of top-dog, constantly trying to one up the other for who brought in the most money and who caught the richer clients. Amongst this competitiveness the pair have begun to find the other attractive, although they haven’t quite admitted it to themselves and even if they had, they wouldn’t dare admit it to each other. 

Now established in London Sebastien was happy to find that Mira and Alexander had also made the trip over the sea to begin their lives in London, meeting up regularly with them and new found friend STAR DAVENPORT the group was once again as close as they were in school, minus Alexandra of course.To his surprise his school friend Alexander had not come to London on his own but in fact had brought his fiance, Claudette, the beautiful blonde that Andra had so despised at school. Hoping to start over Sebastien was now trying to get close to Claudette and apologise for his past behaviour. Once again close to Mira Sebastien moved in with her and was proud of the girl’s accomplishments once she had escaped the grasps of his ex-girlfriend. However, finding out that Alexandra was in fact in town made Mira question whether to allow the girl back into her life. Despite Sebastiens advice she did and now Sebastien is waiting for the day he has to be in Alexandra’s company once again, hoping upon hope that old feelings won’t surface and he is once again under her charismatic trance. Awaiting the day he sees Alexandra again Sebastien is trying to focus on other things, such as potential backers for his business venture, his new found school friends and the irritating yet kind of attractive Constance who takes up his every waking moment with ways to beat the know-it-all witch. 

→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Half-Blood (½ Veela)

Sexuality  → Up to Roleplayer

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education → Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

Family → Antoinette Fontaine (deceased mother), Hugo Fontaine (father)

Connections  → Mira Iyer (best friend/roommate), Alexander Tremblay (best friend), Alexandra Rosier (ex-girlfriend/potential love interest), Claudette Delacour (former adversary/friend), Georgine Faribault (boss/friend), Dahlia Blackwood (colleague/friend), Constance Song (colleague/potential love interest), Star Davenport (friend)

Future Information → N/A

SEBASTIEN FONTAINE IS A LEVEL 5 WIZARD/VEELA.

[jeanettetweeks]

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We provide all the e-Commerce digital marketing services that your company needs to get results!

Our full-service SEO and e-Commerce digital marketing packages are designed for your business to rule the web and replace a dozen solutions with one suite to improve and leverage in all areas of your marketing. As our valued client, you will enjoy the following services:

Execution of effective e-Commerce digital marketing strategies

We will conduct an in-depth review and audit of your website to determine the necessary SEO strategies that will give your store the much-needed boost in its online presence. We will also execute effective e-Commerce SEO strategies customized to your business to make your online store more visible on the search engine results pages.

Perform website optimization strategies

Payments works seamlessly with any Salesforce application or data model, be it your out of the box Sales Cloud or custom application.

Help you design a custom, mobile-friendly site that makes purchasing your product be a breeze as possible

Payments works seamlessly with any Salesforce application or data model, be it your out of the box Sales Cloud or custom application.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS: WATCH OUR FREE TRAINING VIDEO TO BOOST YOUR SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS QUICKLY.

What makes our e-Commerce agency different?

Our connection with our customers is at the heart of what we do, as we believe building a solid client relationship is the foundation for growth. Trust and values come FIRST to us, and we don’t act in self-interest. We continually strive to build a lasting and meaningful relationship with our clients founded by transparency and honesty.

With all that said, we take time to hear your goals and where you want to be in the future, so we have a FULL understanding of what your company wants to accomplish in e-Commerce marketing and ensure you are well-supported throughout the process.

Everything we do comes from the perspective of a business owner. We walk our talk, and we are 100% dedicated to serving you. We will treat your company as our own and look out for your business’s best interest as a whole. And as your SEO and digital marketing partner, you are NEVER alone in your game. We are in this together!

Simply put, we genuinely care about your business, and we are passionate about bringing noticeable results building your competitive advantage. Our SEO solutions and digital marketing system in place are driven towards making an indelible impact with significant change on your company’s revenue growth and, eventually, help your business succeed in this competitive digital age.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EPROPEL DIFFERENCE. WE GIVE YOU A HANDS-OFF SOLUTION IN GETTING CONSISTENT SALES AND LEADS.

So, let’s kick things off with the help of our certified digital marketing experts!

Take note that highly effective e-Commerce marketing is a make or break necessity for many e-Commerce companies. Today, a plethora of e-Commerce businesses credit online marketing for achieving an increase in their ROI and their generation of more sales.

When it comes to e-Commerce digital marketing, finding the RIGHT e-Commerce marketing agency or partner can help you tap into this rapidly growing sales channel and keep your business prepared for the future!

That said, if you are looking for a dedicated digital marketing team passionate about taking your business to the next level, our integrated digital marketing strategies will be perfect for you!

Make ePropel and our team your trusted e-Commerce marketing agency. Our e-Commerce digital marketing services go unmatched, providing your business with the best value possible and helping your e-Commerce store get ahead in today’s very competitive online business world. We will develop a customized internet marketing package to meet your business KPIs and revenue growth goals.

With our team of experienced SEO and digital experts and a growing number of satisfied customers, ePropel becomes the trusted choice for e-Commerce companies looking to drive revenue, generate sales, set up an effective conversion strategy, and ultimately, get good leads aboard.

PARTNER WITH EPROPEL NOW, AND TOGETHER, WE WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS!

Why do you need a game plan for your online marketing?

The global market is continually expanding and innovating. If you don’t keep up with your competitors, you will be missing out on huge sales, let alone you lose in the game. Relying on the traditional forms of advertising and marketing products will not cut it or beat your competitors, especially in a very aggressive market with low customer spending.

With nearly all marketing efforts being performed now online, it is tough to draw customer’s attention to your business. Even more challenging is deciding between the various types of digital marketing people use today that will potentially market your business. If you continue to rest on your laurels in a world of business that’s highly competitive, sooner or later, a new competition lurks around the corner, and you are in a deadly trap.

Here’s a wake-up call to e-Commerce business owners

While you are not boosting your website’s visibility, your competitors are keeping the competition on their toes. So, if your potential and existing customers find them online, they will likely turn to your competitors instead of you as the go-to source for their needs. Thus, you miss the opportunity to pull in more customers and reach a large audience.

As you can see, digital marketing is relatively inexpensive and very doable, so there is no reason why e-Commerce businesses couldn’t stay in front of people and stand out from the crowd. No matter how new or small, your business can avoid being overlooked by the vast marketplace. Here’s the good news, at ePropel, we offer a suite of e-Commerce marketing services that make using e-Commerce marketing simple but on point and delivers results.

Take advantage of our online marketing strategies geared toward building your brand awareness, increased website traffic, targeted reach, leads, conversions, or even repeat purchases so that you could achieve your business growth goals. With a coordinated marketing strategy, your company will surely maximize the impact of your e-Commerce marketing efforts!

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET MORE CLIENTS AND REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET THROUGH SEO. WATCH THE FREE TRAINING VIDEO HERE.

Again, don’t rest on your laurels. It’s time to take massive action!

As a business owner, it is common for you to spin the wheels and lose focus. And as the business continues to grow, the demands to be met become increasingly high. Without noticing, it presents you with ever more complex challenges at a near-relentless pace, losing your control and grip on the business. Add in your personal and family needs; things could spiral down quickly, and it’s easy to constantly feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. ‍

With overwhelming things going on in the business, unknowingly, the day has gone by, and you missed priming the pump that improves cash flow. Remember that generating MORE sales or getting more people walking through your door are the lifeblood of your business. At the end of the day, the main thing that matters is, how many sales are you making?

If you want your business to realize its full potential without getting overwhelmed, take this advice seriously: do things that truly matter to your business, and don’t wait for your feelings to change to take action. Whether you like it or not, your e-Commerce success depends upon the successful marketing strategies you have poured into your business to gain traction in a crowded online marketplace.

If wearing multiple hats at your job hurts your efficiency, decreases your focus, and undermines your productivity as the company’s primary decision-maker – it’s about time to stop trying to do it all by yourself. Simple. If you do the SEO legwork yourself, you need to learn the process and pay for tool subscriptions. In addition, to get it done right, you need to invest in training and courses. Too much on your plate already, and confused about what to do first. Consider outsourcing your marketing – this is perhaps the best decision. This way, you can give your undivided attention to more important things to run your business more powerfully.

Do you want an e-Commerce marketing going and need help from experts?

Prioritize Keywords That Gets You Results

Identify what your prospects are searching for on Google and embed these keywords into the right areas of your website that you can consistently get qualified leads on a regular basis.

Optimize Your Website to Increase Visibility

With over 200 optimization factors, we identify the top factors that are turning your visitors away and what would increase searchability on your website. We then implement these on your website on so that it helps your store to rank on Google for more keywords

Quality Link Building To Accelerate Your Growth

Without high-quality and relevant backlinks, it’s almost impossible to get to the 1st page of Google for the most competitive keywords in your niche, so it’s very important to match your eCommerce store with the most relevant and high quality backlink opportunities to achieve 1st page Google results.

Without SEO, your website is not found by searchers, and your efforts will be for nothing. Remember, most e-Commerce traffic comes from Google, and because of this, implementing cohesive e-Commerce marketing strategies will help you get found, get noticed, and attract new leads.

Investing in SEO and digital marketing is a long-term investment. We believe that building our partnership with you is crucial to making our working relationship as smooth sailing as possible. We understand that you are busy running your business. Don’t worry; we’ve got this!

We will take your business marketing off your plate and help you get into the “​feels right” zone quickly to skyrocket your sales. We’ve got your back, and you can count on us, through thick and thin. We have everything tracked with advanced analytics on your site, showing all aspects of your business, resulting in a more effective and faster decision-making process and ensuring that all campaigns perform at peak potential. We will also send you a detailed regular SEO report that summarizes all necessary SEO metrics you need to know about your business.

Everything you need to know about e-Commerce marketing

With many marketing operations now taking place online, it can be tough to decide which e-Commerce marketing strategy is most useful for your business. So before we dive into much detail about the endless options for marketing your product, it is essential to understand that e-Commerce marketing and digital marketing are both inclusive.

Similarly, e-Commerce marketers can use all digital channels to promote their products, attract visitors to their website, facilitate purchases online and grow their business. While SEO results take time to be reflected on search engines, it offers long-term value. So, keep going!

At ePropel we help business owners improve their store and monitor their progress. We will help you implement clear, actionable, prioritized ground-breaking SEO strategies to improve your website performance.

Scan your website with possible SEO issues. No obligation is required.

AVAIL NOW FOR OUR FREE SITE AUDIT TO CHECK YOUR WEBSITE’S SEO SCORE.

Patience is a virtue even in SEO…

As an e-Commerce agency, we have been doing SEO for a long time; the most common client question is, “How long before we are #1 in Google?” We get that.

Here is the harsh truth, there is no such thing as instant SEO results. But once rankings are achieved, it is not easy to fall off Google’s SERP. So how long does it take for results to start kicking in? It takes 4-6 months to see the results and experience an increase in organic traffic to be accurate. ‍

Although most companies want fast and quick results, SEO cannot take effect overnight. It just doesn’t happen like that – SEO doesn’t work instantly. However, if website optimization is built on a right and solid foundation, it should continue to bring relevant organic results not long after the website is optimized.

When it comes to populating the first page in Google, the bottom line is that patience is a virtue. Google is getting smarter recently, and it takes considerable time to prove to Google that your website is worth it. If you successfully make it to the first page, pat yourself on the back. This achievement means that Google has finally found your website credible and valuable.

So, kudos to your dedication and hard work. Allow us to be the first one to say, “Congratulations, all of your SEO efforts have finally paid off!” The main takeaway here is that the work will gradually produce BIG results if the SEO foundation is solid and done right. SEO is a daunting task, but it is a slow but sure process. So trust the process!

Now, let’s talk about the ins and outs of digital marketing

Nowadays, digital marketers use different platforms to generate noise towards their products or services. Let’s face it. Competition among small businesses is fierce. In fact, we frequently witness an uprising every now and then. With that said, digital marketing has never been more relevant and vital for companies to get their business found and thrive online.

A lot of e-Commerce companies are now investing so much effort in telling about their brands or showing off their products in the hope of bringing awareness and attracting more buyers online without spending so much money on advertisements. These are made possible because of the digital marketing strategies they implement on their own.

As the competition online gets more rigid, more and more business owners have difficulty keeping up with competitors. Add in the fact that digital marketing continues to evolve every single day.

This scenario is quite challenging for many businesses to take advantage of the marketing channels available, especially if entrepreneurs are not clear on their starting point and where their company is headed within a given timeframe – it can seem scary, intimidating, and confusing. Add it, for businesses with limited time and resources on hand – it’s often difficult to take advantage of digital marketing channels, which leads to neglect and not taking action to leverage and stay ahead of the curve.

So why does digital marketing matter to your business?

The reasons are simple and clear. To make it easier to understand, let us break them down into tiny bits and pieces.

IT DOESN’T NEED A CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT

e-Commerce marketing won’t break the bank to implement the strategies. If you are new to digital marketing, find suitable channels that work for your business.

IT EFFECTIVELY INCREASES THE CONVERSION RATE

Although e-Commerce marketing doesn’t promise fast results after optimizing the website, it can easily convert subscribers and leads into high-paying customers and repeat clients when done right.

INCREASES YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT

As you get higher conversion rates, it will impact the revenue positively, make more money, and increase your profit margin.

DEFINES AND CLASSIFIES YOUR TARGET MARKET

In business, you need to understand who your target customers are. Speak directly to your ideal target market that can resonate with what you are offering, and in time, your efforts will pay dividends.

BUILDS AND STRENGTHENS YOUR BRAND

Having a brand is not enough. It needs to be promoted and instilled in your potential customer’s minds, which means getting your brand in front of them and winning their trust to increase your credibility. The greater brand awareness your business has, the higher the chances to convert website visitors into paying customers.

SHARE QUALITY CONTENT ABOUT THE COMPANY ACROSS DIFFERENT PLATFORMS

SEO and digital marketing involve the optimization of your content. Creating content and sharing them on different digital media platforms make you look like an industry expert. Being so is an advantage because it will give you an instant upper hand on competitors.

Ready, set, let’s go!

Set realistic long-term goals for the business.

Break down long-term goals into actionable steps.

Keep your new and existing customers happy.

Set realistic long-term goals for the business. ‍ Goals are your stepping stones for an expected end result. A company without goals will have no sense of direction, no defined purpose, and nothing to strive for. When it comes to marketing, setting goals serves as its backbone. Set your marketing goals based on the company’s overall corporate goals and objectives.

Pandemic lockdown is a blessing in disguise to small businesses…

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, making it difficult to stay afloat, especially for startup business owners during trying times like what we are going through right now. With the influx of COVID-19 worldwide, many businesses that were severely affected are now out of business.

The ones believed as temporary closures became permanent shutdowns delivering a gut punch to business owners across various ranges of industries. Despite the reopening to new normal, thousands of small businesses are still struggling to get their heads above water.

On the flip side, e-Commerce businesses have been turbo-charged by the pandemic. Coronavirus restrictions forced people to stay at home and avoid leaving their houses unless absolutely necessary. With more consumers needing to physically distance and local stores changing their in-store operations due to daunting COVID-19 case counts, the option to shop online became the best alternative to many.

Turn your dry pipeline into a well of golden opportunity

Pandemic has changed the way people shop and accelerated the digital world’s shift where business interactions and transactions are done online. The compulsory measure to arrest the virus caused the most significant change to online shopping.

But our difficult circumstance goes to show that every cloud has a silver lining. The strict stay-at-home combined with physical distancing orders led many people to shy away from physical stores, sweeping more virtual and e-Commerce businesses off their feet.

If you have the right mindset, you can see a dry pipeline as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to innovate, restructure, shift priorities and take advantage of the new trends of commercial opportunities brought on by the unprecedented times. That’s right.

According to recent surveys, retail e-Commerce sales soared to an all-time high during the global pandemic. The challenging situation we are in right now is perhaps the MOST ironic. Do you agree?

A dry sales pipeline compels businesses to perform into exploration mode, try new things, and accelerate the learning curve. So, despite the economic fallout, COVID-19 helped drive e-Commerce sales up to 97% compared to the pre-pandemic season.

This enormous growth of e-Commerce means competition, which means that e-Commerce companies struggle to get new clients because of too much rivalry online. Sounds like you?

GET A FREE AUDIT TO CHECK WHAT’S HOLDING YOUR WEBSITE BACK FROM ITS POTENTIAL TO GET RANKED AND NOTICED.

Supercharge your e-Commerce site search to get more traffic

So as COVID-19 spikes and restrictions remain uncertain, today is the perfect time to jumpstart boosting your e-Commerce business. If you think your company doesn’t need SEO, think again! As the pandemic continues to reshape our world, many consumers turn to e-Commerce to purchase the items they need and become accustomed to the convenience of shopping from home.

The dramatic shift from in-store shopping to massive buying online is expected to have lasting effects on the consumers’ shopping preferences, even when things go back to a pre-COVID-19 way of life. The prediction is that online shopping is here to stay even when the pandemic is over. So, grab the chance to get discovered by your potential customers and dominate your niche.

Don’t just launch your e-Commerce store; leave it sitting online and wait for orders to come through. Sorry not sorry – this is not how it works. Flow in orders and sales won’t come unless you get the word out there and let the people know about what you are offering. Letting your website die in the vine and not doing anything is like throwing your money away since no one will see this website of yours. Your website is not getting any leads that you needed to scale your business.

In the digital era, setting your e-Commerce website is the easiest part of the process. The difficult step is how to get attention and convert the leads into loyal customers. We offer e-Commerce marketing services to maximize reach and transform your shop into a retail store’s powerhouse.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO SEE HOW YOU CAN SKYROCKET YOUR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS GROWTH AMID TIGHT COMPETITION.

Step up in your SEO game. Why not?

First, let us make a recap. Website optimization through SEO strategies is the game-changer for ranking high on Google, capturing new leads, and increasing your revenue in the future. If your brand has high visibility online, it fuels more sales for your business.

After e-Commerce store launching is completed, don’t sit back yet. Instead, invest your efforts into turning your website into a lead magnet and acquire more customers straight from your website. Even a pandemic can’t slow down your e-Commerce business if you have the right SEO in place.

To reiterate, taking your business online is totally different from creating a website. Every effort we make to improve our website’s performance leads to revenue in some way.

So, if you want to leverage your business, keep this in mind:

Your e-Commerce website becomes the marketplace where customers learn about your products and services and make pre-purchase decisions. The customers also carry out commercial transactions like buying or selling on the platform itself.

SEO is a non-negotiable strategy for an effective e-Commerce marketing

The pandemic has turned several businesses upside down. If your e-Commerce store was hit hard by this Coronavirus outbreak and has experienced a massive decline in traffic and conversion, it’s time to do the work. Yes, you heard it right!

Don’t wait for things to get better before you put in the work. While everything is slow, it is the perfect time to restructure, which includes improving your SEO and utilizing digital marketing platforms to skyrocket your sales, outrank your competitors, and get back on track when the pandemic is over.

Sounds good? Here’s how to get started:

Declutter your website pages. Remove irrelevant pages that were created without a strategy, including those that got obsolete over time. Although Google indexed them, they don’t matter to your business anymore. So better delete the non-essentials – having less is more. ‍

Only publish high-quality content. It was once a fad that producing heaps of content was the key to rank. But things have changed. The rule of thumb is to go for quality over quantity. Today, Google is more focused on the VALUE you are providing to the online readers. So, when publishing content, keep posting less but highly informative and keyword-rich articles. Then, you are good to go! ‍

Utilize other platforms like Amazon and App stores. Explore other websites that your audience is searching and don’t just restrict your efforts to rank in Google alone. Look beyond and seize every opportunity you have. The goal here is to maximize your online visibility to get found by an impending flood of virtual customers. ‍

Level up your website’s on-page SEO. On-page SEO is the key to improving your brand visibility, achieving a surge in organic traffic, and whatnot. On-page SEO is done by optimizing and adding keywords to the individual page on your website. If done correctly, it has the potential to improve your website rankings in Google and reach your target audience over time. ‍

Improve visitor’s dwelling time by creating engaging content.‍ Dwelling time is the amount of time users spend on your website before they go back to check out other results in the search engine. Adding high value, quality, informative and engaging content will increase your chances of converting visitors into potential customers and avoid leaving before they get to your website. ‍

Switch your website to Google’s mobile-first index.‍ To simplify, Google prioritizes indexing sites that are mobile-first indexing compatible. As Google adapts to the growing use of mobile worldwide, Google bots prioritize crawling and indexing sites with compatibility with mobile-first indexing and mobile SEO in general. ‍

Amp up your technical SEO. The main goal here is to optimize the primary infrastructure of your website. Technical SEO has nothing to do with your content. The most simplified definition of the process requires Speed, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), and JavaScript, to name a few. Improving your technical SEO allows the search engines to access, crawl, interpret and index your website without any problems.

Fill your sales pipeline with warm leads

As Google rankings increasingly become tougher, it is important to understand what your audience likes and preferences as a whole. Since most people now are spending most of their time on their smartphones, it is good to invest your efforts in identifying the suitable medium to engage and nurture relationships with your visitors and create content that adds value to them.

Take note that shoppers are spending more hours researching the items they want to buy online. If they highly consider your product, they will temporarily add them to the cart and buy it later. According to surveys, it takes about two weeks before they make the purchase decision.

As part of the sales process, newly found leads need warming up before they are ripe for conversion. The content you add to your website attracts potential customers. You can keep them engaged by giving them steam of quality content that will keep them coming back and increase their genuine interest as they move closer to making buying decisions. Most potential buyers are not only are searching online for the products they want to buy online but are also looking for answers to their questions.

Yes, it’s true. Almost all the customers have curious queries, so create content that is engaging and informative. Strive to satisfy their curiosity and meet them at every level of their research – from product discovery, comparisons with other products, and reviews from previous clients.

Aside from getting a paying customer when you add value to your audience journey, you will also get a fresh ranking boost from Google. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. So don’t settle for mediocre content; go for quality content that will help you stand out, pull visitors into your funnel, warm them as prospects, and eventually, fill your pipeline with qualified hot leads.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO SCALE YOUR E-COMMERCE WEBSITE UP. BOOK A STRATEGY CALL WITH US NOW!

Final words

SEO is a critical need by e-Commerce businesses nowadays. There is no other way to move forward your e-Commerce business faster and get better ROI than optimizing your website. As an e-Commerce digital marketing agency, we will get the results for you while you focus on your business. Choosing your e-Commerce digital marketing agency is a matter of life and death. It could help you succeed or fail in your SEO campaigns. So choose wisely. Your choice in hiring the right e-Commerce SEO agency matters because it either catapults your e-Commerce store to brilliant new levels of success or pulls your business a giant step backward.

Partner with ePropel, and guaranteed, your business is in good hands. We have what it takes to help your business grow. We will unleash your e-Commerce to its full potential allowing your website to get more traffic, exponentially increase your revenue and gain more repeat businesses online. So whether you want to increase your profit or get your brand out there, ePropel’s e-Commerce marketing services will help achieve your business’s goals to succeed within a target audience.

ePropel is an SEO agency that helps companies to accelerate their website’s organic visitors through our proven 3-step system. Our team has more than 20 years of experience and are driven to deliver exceptional results for our clients.

[epropel]

Get More Customers Organically For Your eCommerce Store

With 43% of all e-commerce traffic coming from Google search, e-commerce stores who capitalize on this will benefit from increased profits and consistent organic customers for years to come.

Find out how you can attract more of your ideal customers on the top of Google Search results without paid ads with our 3-step SEO system.

Take a minute to schedule a time below to see if you are a good fit to at least double your organic website leads through our 3 step system.

I WANT TO GROW MY ORGANIC LEADS

Our Clients Have Massively Increased Their Sales Through Our SEO Services

Our team have helped companies ranging from emerging eCommerce stores to large companies like Capital One to be found at the top of Google through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Through this, we helped them to get more qualified leads and more sales while achieving a big return on their investment.

Two Spoons

Hannah from Two Spoons already had a strong social media presence before working with us, with over 115,000 followers on Instagram and growing her followers fast. However despite this growth, her website leads was not growing fast enough.

Through working with us, we helped Two Spoons to grow from 2,000 organic visitors per month to 10,000 organic visitors per month!

Alpha Crowd Control

Allan from Alpha Crowd Control has been running his business for more than 15 years. When traditional marketing channels stopped working and his paid ads didn’t bring a good return, he struggled to find new customers…

Through our 3-step system, we TRIPLED his business’ organic website leads which helped to create a 50% increase in his annual revenue!

E-Commerce Digital Marketing Agency

Having a functional e-commerce store or website is not an end-all and be-all. In a constantly changing digital and competitive business landscape nowadays, most e-commerce merchants worldwide turn to SEO and digital marketing agencies to help build their brands and grow their customer base. Because of this, marketing business online has become increasingly important in any company’s success. 

Promoting your e-commerce store by utilizing SEO strategies and different digital marketing platforms offers immense value. Still, it is NOT a small and easy feat. Since SEO rankings take time to improve after optimizing the website, it is a truly daunting task to find the needle you are looking for in the enormous haystack of information that search engines return. For this reason, more and more entrepreneurs are now relying on outside help to achieve organic growth.

Are you thinking about hiring an e-Commerce digital marketing agency?

Choosing the best e-Commerce digital marketing agency will help you save time, headaches, and a massive amount of money. The goal of hiring an e-Commerce digital agency is to increase your website’s visibility and ultimately provide a quick return on your investment.

Before we go further, here’s a heads-up! Reaching the top of search engine rankings doesn’t happen overnight. Because of this, it takes several months to realize that you hired the wrong e-Commerce agency, and you end up facing damaging effects to your website’s online presence in search engine results. Too late to atone for your bad decisions.

If you are looking for honest SEO services with guaranteed results, then you came to the RIGHT place!

Compared to other e-Commerce marketing agencies, we offer you a stress-free, fast and rewarding experience! Our main goal of helping you set up an e-Commerce digital marketing system is to create new

e-Commerce revenue streams that initially seem too complicated to leverage. We suggest that if you want the best results in your ROI, focus on the valuable metrics that matter.

ePropel is an e-Commerce digital marketing agency that offers guaranteed e-Commerce digital marketing services that will help your business dominate your market’s search engine rankings. We follow a 3-step system to grow your e-Commerce business based on fundamental strategies and best SEO and digital marketing practices. Our guaranteed SEO system has a proven track record in assisting small to medium-sized companies to sell to a global audience online.

Our main goal is to help you attract your ideal customers without paying hefty fees for paid ads. As your SEO partner, we will strive to help you get to the top results on Google and get organic traffic from the top 10 search result positions.

We now live in a different world, and as technology advances, Google is also advancing its requirements. We diversify, and with the latest developments in Google algorithm, it’s hard to keep up with the new marketing trend at an enterprise level.

‍  LEARN HOW TO GET 10X MORE CUSTOMERS AND INCREASE YOUR ROI WITH EPROPEL’S 3-STEP SYSTEM.

We provide all the e-Commerce digital marketing services that your company needs to get results!

Our full-service SEO and e-Commerce digital marketing packages are designed for your business to rule the web and replace a dozen solutions with one suite to improve and leverage in all areas of your marketing. As our valued client, you will enjoy the following services:

Execution of effective e-Commerce digital marketing strategies

We will conduct an in-depth review and audit of your website to determine the necessary SEO strategies that will give your store the much-needed boost in its online presence. We will also execute effective e-Commerce SEO strategies customized to your business to make your online store more visible on the search engine results pages.

Perform website optimization strategies

Payments works seamlessly with any Salesforce application or data model, be it your out of the box Sales Cloud or custom application.

Help you design a custom, mobile-friendly site that makes purchasing your product be a breeze as possible

Payments works seamlessly with any Salesforce application or data model, be it your out of the box Sales Cloud or custom application.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS: WATCH OUR FREE TRAINING VIDEO TO BOOST YOUR SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS QUICKLY.

WHAT MAKES OUR E-COMMERCE AGENCY DIFFERENT?

Our connection with our customers is at the heart of what we do, as we believe building a solid client relationship is the foundation for growth. Trust and values come FIRST to us, and we don’t act in self-interest. We continually strive to build a lasting and meaningful relationship with our clients founded by transparency and honesty. ‍

With all that said, we take time to hear your goals and where you want to be in the future, so we have a FULL understanding of what your company wants to accomplish in e-Commerce marketing and ensure you are well-supported throughout the process. ‍ Everything we do comes from the perspective of a business owner. We walk our talk, and we are 100% dedicated to serving you. We will treat your company as our own and look out for your business’s best interest as a whole. And as your SEO and digital marketing partner, you are NEVER alone in your game. We are in this together! ‍ Simply put, we genuinely care about your business, and we are passionate about bringing noticeable results building your competitive advantage. Our SEO solutions and digital marketing system in place are driven towards making an indelible impact with significant change on your company’s revenue growth and, eventually, help your business succeed in this competitive digital age.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EPROPEL DIFFERENCE. WE GIVE YOU A HANDS-OFF SOLUTION IN GETTING CONSISTENT SALES AND LEADS.

SO, LET’S KICK THINGS OFF WITH THE HELP OF OUR CERTIFIED DIGITAL MARKETING EXPERTS!

Take note that highly effective e-Commerce marketing is a make or break necessity for many e-Commerce companies. Today, a plethora of e-Commerce businesses credit online marketing for achieving an increase in their ROI and their generation of more sales. ‍ When it comes to e-Commerce digital marketing, finding the RIGHT e-Commerce marketing agency or partner can help you tap into this rapidly growing sales channel and keep your business prepared for the future! ‍ That said, if you are looking for a dedicated digital marketing team passionate about taking your business to the next level, our integrated digital marketing strategies will be perfect for you! ‍

Make ePropel and our team your trusted e-Commerce marketing agency. Our e-Commerce digital marketing services go unmatched, providing your business with the best value possible and helping your e-Commerce store get ahead in today’s very competitive online business world. We will develop a customized internet marketing package to meet your business KPIs and revenue growth goals. ‍ With our team of experienced SEO and digital experts and a growing number of satisfied customers, ePropel becomes the trusted choice for e-Commerce companies looking to drive revenue, generate sales, set up an effective conversion strategy, and ultimately, get good leads aboard. ‍ PARTNER WITH EPROPEL NOW, AND TOGETHER, WE WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS!

WHY DO YOU NEED A GAME PLAN FOR YOUR ONLINE MARKETING?

The global market is continually expanding and innovating. If you don’t keep up with your competitors, you will be missing out on huge sales, let alone you lose in the game. Relying on the traditional forms of advertising and marketing products will not cut it or beat your competitors, especially in a very aggressive market with low customer spending. ‍ With nearly all marketing efforts being performed now online, it is tough to draw customer’s attention to your business. Even more challenging is deciding between the various types of digital marketing people use today that will potentially market your business. If you continue to rest on your laurels in a world of business that’s highly competitive, sooner or later, a new competition lurks around the corner, and you are in a deadly trap.

HERE’S A WAKE-UP CALL TO E-COMMERCE BUSINESS OWNERS

While you are not boosting your website’s visibility, your competitors are keeping the competition on their toes. So, if your potential and existing customers find them online, they will likely turn to your competitors instead of you as the go-to source for their needs. Thus, you miss the opportunity to pull in more customers and reach a large audience.

As you can see, digital marketing is relatively inexpensive and very doable, so there is no reason why e-Commerce businesses couldn’t stay in front of people and stand out from the crowd. No matter how new or small, your business can avoid being overlooked by the vast marketplace. Here’s the good news, at ePropel, we offer a suite of e-Commerce marketing services that make using e-Commerce marketing simple but on point and delivers results.

Take advantage of our online marketing strategies geared toward building your brand awareness, increased website traffic, targeted reach, leads, conversions, or even repeat purchases so that you could achieve your business growth goals. With a coordinated marketing strategy, your company will surely maximize the impact of your e-Commerce marketing efforts!

‍FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET MORE CLIENTS AND REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET THROUGH SEO. WATCH THE FREE TRAINING VIDEO HERE.

AGAIN, DON’T REST ON YOUR LAURELS. IT’S TIME TO TAKE MASSIVE ACTION!

As a business owner, it is common for you to spin the wheels and lose focus. And as the business continues to grow, the demands to be met become increasingly high.  Without noticing, it presents you with ever more complex challenges at a near-relentless pace, losing your control and grip on the business. Add in your personal and family needs; things could spiral down quickly, and it’s easy to constantly feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. ‍ With overwhelming things going on in the business, unknowingly, the day has gone by, and you missed priming the pump that improves cash flow. Remember that generating MORE sales or getting more people walking through your door are the lifeblood of your business. At the end of the day, the main thing that matters is, how many sales are you making? ‍ If you want your business to realize its full potential without getting overwhelmed, take this advice seriously: do things that truly matter to your business, and don’t wait for your feelings to change to take action. Whether you like it or not, your e-Commerce success depends upon the successful marketing strategies you have poured into your business to gain traction in a crowded online marketplace. ‍ If wearing multiple hats at your job hurts your efficiency, decreases your focus, and undermines your productivity as the company’s primary decision-maker – it’s about time to stop trying to do it all by yourself. Simple. If you do the SEO legwork yourself, you need to learn the process and pay for tool subscriptions. In addition, to get it done right, you need to invest in training and courses. Too much on your plate already, and confused about what to do first. Consider outsourcing your marketing – this is perhaps the best decision. This way, you can give your undivided attention to more important things to run your business more powerfully.

DO YOU WANT AN E-COMMERCE MARKETING GOING AND NEED HELP FROM EXPERTS?

No worries, we’ve got you covered! We at ePropel will help you create a plan, strategize, and implement it into your business. We will make things happen for you and deliver maximum SEO results that propel your business to grow.

Prioritize Keywords That Gets You Results

Identify what your prospects are searching for on Google and embed these keywords into the right areas of your website that you can consistently get qualified leads on a regular basis.

Optimize Your Website to Increase Visibility

With over 200 optimization factors, we identify the top factors that are turning your visitors away and what would increase searchability on your website. We then implement these on your website on so that it helps your store to rank on Google for more keywords

Quality Link Building To Accelerate Your Growth

Without high-quality and relevant backlinks, it’s almost impossible to get to the 1st page of Google for the most competitive keywords in your niche, so it’s very important to match your eCommerce store with the most relevant and high quality backlink opportunities to achieve 1st page Google results.

Without SEO, your website is not found by searchers, and your efforts will be for nothing. Remember, most e-Commerce traffic comes from Google, and because of this, implementing cohesive e-Commerce marketing strategies will help you get found, get noticed, and attract new leads. ‍ Investing in SEO and digital marketing is a long-term investment.  We believe that building our partnership with you is crucial to making our working relationship as smooth sailing as possible. We understand that you are busy running your business. Don’t worry; we’ve got this!

We will take your business marketing off your plate and help you get into the “​feels right” zone quickly to skyrocket your sales. We’ve got your back, and you can count on us, through thick and thin. We have everything tracked with advanced analytics on your site, showing all aspects of your business, resulting in a more effective and faster decision-making process and ensuring that all campaigns perform at peak potential. We will also send you a detailed regular SEO report that summarizes all necessary SEO metrics you need to know about your business.

Everything you need to know about e-Commerce marketing

With many marketing operations now taking place online, it can be tough to decide which e-Commerce marketing strategy is most useful for your business. So before we dive into much detail about the endless options for marketing your product, it is essential to understand that e-Commerce marketing and digital marketing are both inclusive. ‍ Similarly, e-Commerce marketers can use all digital channels to promote their products, attract visitors to their website, facilitate purchases online and grow their business. While SEO results take time to be reflected on search engines, it offers long-term value. So, keep going! ‍ At ePropel we help business owners improve their store and monitor their progress. We will help you implement clear, actionable, prioritized ground-breaking SEO strategies to improve your website performance.

Scan your website with possible SEO issues. No obligation is required.

AVAIL NOW FOR OUR FREE SITE AUDIT TO CHECK YOUR WEBSITE’S SEO SCORE.

Patience is a virtue even in SEO…

As an e-Commerce agency, we have been doing SEO for a long time; the most common client question is, “How long before we are #1 in Google?” We get that. ‍ Here is the harsh truth, there is no such thing as instant SEO results. But once rankings are achieved, it is not easy to fall off Google’s SERP. So how long does it take for results to start kicking in? It takes 4-6 months to see the results and experience an increase in organic traffic to be accurate. ‍ Although most companies want fast and quick results, SEO cannot take effect overnight. It just doesn’t happen like that – SEO doesn’t work instantly. However, if website optimization is built on a right and solid foundation, it should continue to bring relevant organic results not long after the website is optimized. ‍ When it comes to populating the first page in Google, the bottom line is that patience is a virtue. Google is getting smarter recently, and it takes considerable time to prove to Google that your website is worth it. If you successfully make it to the first page, pat yourself on the back. This achievement means that Google has finally found your website credible and valuable. ‍ So, kudos to your dedication and hard work. Allow us to be the first one to say, “Congratulations, all of your SEO efforts have finally paid off!” The main takeaway here is that the work will gradually produce BIG results if the SEO foundation is solid and done right.  SEO is a daunting task, but it is a slow but sure process. So trust the process!

Now, let’s talk about the ins and outs of digital marketing

Nowadays, digital marketers use different platforms to generate noise towards their products or services. Let’s face it. Competition among small businesses is fierce. In fact, we frequently witness an uprising every now and then. With that said, digital marketing has never been more relevant and vital for companies to get their business found and thrive online. ‍ A lot of e-Commerce companies are now investing so much effort in telling about their brands or showing off their products in the hope of bringing awareness and attracting more buyers online without spending so much money on advertisements. These are made possible because of the digital marketing strategies they implement on their own. ‍ As the competition online gets more rigid, more and more business owners have difficulty keeping up with competitors. Add in the fact that digital marketing continues to evolve every single day. ‍ This scenario is quite challenging for many businesses to take advantage of the marketing channels available, especially if entrepreneurs are not clear on their starting point and where their company is headed within a given timeframe – it can seem scary, intimidating, and confusing.

Add it, for businesses with limited time and resources on hand – it’s often difficult to take advantage of digital marketing channels, which leads to neglect and not taking action to leverage and stay ahead of the curve.

So why does digital marketing matter to your business?

IT DOESN’T NEED A CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT

e-Commerce marketing won’t break the bank to implement the strategies. If you are new to digital marketing, find suitable channels that work for your business.

IT EFFECTIVELY INCREASES THE CONVERSION RATE

Although e-Commerce marketing doesn’t promise fast results after optimizing the website, it can easily convert subscribers and leads into high-paying customers and repeat clients when done right.

INCREASES YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT ‍

As you get higher conversion rates, it will impact the revenue positively, make more money, and increase your profit margin.

DEFINES AND CLASSIFIES YOUR TARGET MARKET

In business, you need to understand who your target customers are. Speak directly to your ideal target market that can resonate with what you are offering, and in time, your efforts will pay dividends.

BUILDS AND STRENGTHENS YOUR BRAND

Having a brand is not enough. It needs to be promoted and instilled in your potential customer’s minds, which means getting your brand in front of them and winning their trust to increase your credibility. The greater brand awareness your business has, the higher the chances to convert website visitors into paying customers.

SHARE QUALITY CONTENT ABOUT THE COMPANY ACROSS DIFFERENT PLATFORMS

SEO and digital marketing involve the optimization of your content. Creating content and sharing them on different digital media platforms make you look like an industry expert. Being so is an advantage because it will give you an instant upper hand on competitors.

Ready, set, let’s go!

If you don’t have an SEO and digital marketing system in place, what are you waiting for? Now that you know the ins and outs of e-Commerce marketing, let’s discuss how you can build a successful business strategy for your online store.

Set realistic long-term goals for the business.

Break down long-term goals into actionable steps.

Keep your new and existing customers happy.

Set realistic long-term goals for the business. ‍ Goals are your stepping stones for an expected end result. A company without goals will have no sense of direction, no defined purpose, and nothing to strive for. When it comes to marketing, setting goals serves as its backbone. Set your marketing goals based on the company’s overall corporate goals and objectives.

Pandemic lockdown is a blessing in disguise to small businesses…

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, making it difficult to stay afloat, especially for startup business owners during trying times like what we are going through right now. With the influx of COVID-19 worldwide, many businesses that were severely affected are now out of business. ‍ The ones believed as temporary closures became permanent shutdowns delivering a gut punch to business owners across various ranges of industries. Despite the reopening to new normal, thousands of small businesses are still struggling to get their heads above water. ‍ On the flip side, e-Commerce businesses have been turbo-charged by the pandemic. Coronavirus restrictions forced people to stay at home and avoid leaving their houses unless absolutely necessary. With more consumers needing to physically distance and local stores changing their in-store operations due to daunting COVID-19 case counts, the option to shop online became the best alternative to many.

Turn your dry pipeline into a well of golden opportunity

Pandemic has changed the way people shop and accelerated the digital world’s shift where business interactions and transactions are done online. The compulsory measure to arrest the virus caused the most significant change to online shopping. ‍ But our difficult circumstance goes to show that every cloud has a silver lining. The strict stay-at-home combined with physical distancing orders led many people to shy away from physical stores, sweeping more virtual and e-Commerce businesses off their feet. ‍ If you have the right mindset, you can see a dry pipeline as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to innovate, restructure, shift priorities and take advantage of the new trends of commercial opportunities brought on by the unprecedented times. That’s right.

According to recent surveys, retail e-Commerce sales soared to an all-time high during the global pandemic. The challenging situation we are in right now is perhaps the MOST ironic. Do you agree? A dry sales pipeline compels businesses to perform into exploration mode, try new things, and accelerate the learning curve. So, despite the economic fallout, COVID-19 helped drive e-Commerce sales up to 97% compared to the pre-pandemic season. ‍ This enormous growth of e-Commerce means competition, which means that e-Commerce companies struggle to get new clients because of too much rivalry online. Sounds like you?

‍GET A FREE AUDIT TO CHECK WHAT’S HOLDING YOUR WEBSITE BACK FROM ITS POTENTIAL TO GET RANKED AND NOTICED.

Supercharge your e-Commerce site search to get more traffic

So as COVID-19 spikes and restrictions remain uncertain, today is the perfect time to jumpstart boosting your e-Commerce business. If you think your company doesn’t need SEO, think again! As the pandemic continues to reshape our world, many consumers turn to e-Commerce to purchase the items they need and become accustomed to the convenience of shopping from home. ‍ The dramatic shift from in-store shopping to massive buying online is expected to have lasting effects on the consumers’ shopping preferences, even when things go back to a pre-COVID-19 way of life. The prediction is that online shopping is here to stay even when the pandemic is over. So, grab the chance to get discovered by your potential customers and dominate your niche. ‍ Don’t just launch your e-Commerce store; leave it sitting online and wait for orders to come through. Sorry not sorry – this is not how it works. Flow in orders and sales won’t come unless you get the word out there and let the people know about what you are offering. Letting your website die in the vine and not doing anything is like throwing your money away since no one will see this website of yours. Your website is not getting any leads that you needed to scale your business. ‍ In the digital era, setting your e-Commerce website is the easiest part of the process. The difficult step is how to get attention and convert the leads into loyal customers. We offer e-Commerce marketing services to maximize reach and transform your shop into a retail store’s powerhouse.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO SEE HOW YOU CAN SKYROCKET YOUR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS GROWTH AMID TIGHT COMPETITION.

Step up in your SEO game. Why not?

First, let us make a recap. Website optimization through SEO strategies is the game-changer for ranking high on Google, capturing new leads, and increasing your revenue in the future. If your brand has high visibility online, it fuels more sales for your business. ‍ After e-Commerce store launching is completed, don’t sit back yet. Instead, invest your efforts into turning your website into a lead magnet and acquire more customers straight from your website. Even a pandemic can’t slow down your e-Commerce business if you have the right SEO in place. To reiterate, taking your business online is totally different from creating a website. Every effort we make to improve our website’s performance leads to revenue in some way.

So, if you want to leverage your business, keep this in mind:

Your e-Commerce website becomes the marketplace where customers learn about your products and services and make pre-purchase decisions. The customers also carry out commercial transactions like buying or selling on the platform itself.

SEO is a non-negotiable strategy for an effective e-Commerce marketing

The pandemic has turned several businesses upside down. If your e-Commerce store was hit hard by this Coronavirus outbreak and has experienced a massive decline in traffic and conversion, it’s time to do the work. Yes, you heard it right! ‍ Don’t wait for things to get better before you put in the work. While everything is slow, it is the perfect time to restructure, which includes improving your SEO and utilizing digital marketing platforms to skyrocket your sales, outrank your competitors, and get back on track when the pandemic is over. Sounds good? Here’s how to get started:

Declutter your website pages. Remove irrelevant pages that were created without a strategy, including those that got obsolete over time. Although Google indexed them, they don’t matter to your business anymore. So better delete the non-essentials – having less is more. ‍

Only publish high-quality content. It was once a fad that producing heaps of content was the key to rank. But things have changed. The rule of thumb is to go for quality over quantity. Today, Google is more focused on the VALUE you are providing to the online readers. So, when publishing content, keep posting less but highly informative and keyword-rich articles. Then, you are good to go! ‍

Utilize other platforms like Amazon and App stores. Explore other websites that your audience is searching and don’t just restrict your efforts to rank in Google alone. Look beyond and seize every opportunity you have. The goal here is to maximize your online visibility to get found by an impending flood of virtual customers. ‍

Level up your website’s on-page SEO. On-page SEO is the key to improving your brand visibility, achieving a surge in organic traffic, and whatnot. On-page SEO is done by optimizing and adding keywords to the individual page on your website. If done correctly, it has the potential to improve your website rankings in Google and reach your target audience over time. ‍

Improve visitor’s dwelling time by creating engaging content.‍Dwelling time is the amount of time users spend on your website before they go back to check out other results in the search engine. Adding high value, quality, informative and engaging content will increase your chances of converting visitors into potential customers and avoid leaving before they get to your website. ‍

Switch your website to Google’s mobile-first index.‍To simplify, Google prioritizes indexing sites that are mobile-first indexing compatible. As Google adapts to the growing use of mobile worldwide, Google bots prioritize crawling and indexing sites with compatibility with mobile-first indexing and mobile SEO in general. ‍

Amp up your technical SEO. The main goal here is to optimize the primary infrastructure of your website. Technical SEO has nothing to do with your content. The most simplified definition of the process requires Speed, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), and JavaScript, to name a few. Improving your technical SEO allows the search engines to access, crawl, interpret and index your website without any problems.

Fill your sales pipeline with warm leads

As Google rankings increasingly become tougher, it is important to understand what your audience likes and preferences as a whole. Since most people now are spending most of their time on their smartphones, it is good to invest your efforts in identifying the suitable medium to engage and nurture relationships with your visitors and create content that adds value to them.

Take note that shoppers are spending more hours researching the items they want to buy online. If they highly consider your product, they will temporarily add them to the cart and buy it later. According to surveys, it takes about two weeks before they make the purchase decision.

As part of the sales process, newly found leads need warming up before they are ripe for conversion. The content you add to your website attracts potential customers. You can keep them engaged by giving them steam of quality content that will keep them coming back and increase their genuine interest as they move closer to making buying decisions. Most potential buyers are not only are searching online for the products they want to buy online but are also looking for answers to their questions.

  Yes, it’s true. Almost all the customers have curious queries, so create content that is engaging and informative. Strive to satisfy their curiosity and meet them at every level of their research – from product discovery, comparisons with other products, and reviews from previous clients.

  Aside from getting a paying customer when you add value to your audience journey, you will also get a fresh ranking boost from Google. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. So don’t settle for mediocre content; go for quality content that will help you stand out, pull visitors into your funnel, warm them as prospects, and eventually, fill your pipeline with qualified hot leads.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO SCALE YOUR E-COMMERCE WEBSITE UP. BOOK A STRATEGY CALL WITH US NOW!

Final words

SEO is a critical need by e-Commerce businesses nowadays. There is no other way to move forward your e-Commerce business faster and get better ROI than optimizing your website. As an e-Commerce digital marketing agency, we will get the results for you while you focus on your business. Choosing your e-Commerce digital marketing agency is a matter of life and death. It could help you succeed or fail in your SEO campaigns. So choose wisely. Your choice in hiring the right e-Commerce SEO agency matters because it either catapults your e-Commerce store to brilliant new levels of success or pulls your business a giant step backward. ‍ Partner with ePropel, and guaranteed, your business is in good hands. We have what it takes to help your business grow. We will unleash your e-Commerce to its full potential allowing your website to get more traffic, exponentially increase your revenue and gain more repeat businesses online. So whether you want to increase your profit or get your brand out there, ePropel’s e-Commerce marketing services will help achieve your business’s goals to succeed within a target audience.

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

As You Are

Chapter: Beyond Midgard Ch. 1 (Find Chapter 2 here)

Co-authors: hopeless_romantic_spoonie, yespolkadotkitty

Summary: Loki and Spoons travel to Asgard.

Entire series also found on Ao3 here :)

A/N: This chapter is co-written with my partner-in-crime @yespolkadotkitty​

Taglist (open): @vodka-and-some-sass @he-is-chaotic-she-is-psychotic @nonsensicalobsessions

You were cuddled up to Loki on the couch, idly watching mindless reality TV with him - something called The Great British Bake Off that Loki had at first snubbed, but now adored, making comments such as “Imbecile. Why would you enter such a contest without first becoming adept at a creme patissiere?” when he patted your back lightly, pulling you from your daze. “Kitten?”

“Hmm?” you hummed, too content and comfortable to lift your cheek from where it rested against his solid chest. You loved the sound of his heartbeat under your ear.

His heart raced just a bit faster beneath you. “Would you accompany me on my journey to Asgard this coming Saturday?”

You pushed yourself up off of him with a hand on his chest, blinking up at him. He regarded you with a practiced indifference that you knew was false, going by the tension around his eyes and his quickened breathing moving him beneath your palm. “I’m sorry. What?”

“Thor and I are due for our yearly visit to discuss diplomatic affairs with the Allfather. It would please me greatly if you accompanied me.”

The Allfather. His father. Odin. Ruler of basically everything you knew existed. No big deal. Stifling the rising anxiety bubbling within you, you managed a nod, trying to mirror his air of fake calm. “Oh. Well. Sure. When you put it like that.”

~~~

What exactly did you wear to meet interplanetary royalty? Loki had said that he and Thor were both wearing their leather armor, but it wasn’t like you had a set of chainmail in your closet to pull out for just this occasion. Why didn’t Macy’s have a section for meeting the terrifying and intimidating parents of your boyfriend who just so happened to be alien royalty? You guessed it’d be a pretty niche range.

When Loki strolled into your open bedroom door, looking every bit the Prince he was in his well-fitted and oiled leathers, cape dramatically flowing behind him as if he had magicked it that way - he easily could have, the insufferable show-off - you felt even more woefully inadequate. How was your choice of a flowing skirt and smart but comfortable blouse supposed to match up to that?

He sauntered up behind you and settled a hand on your shoulder, rubbing it softly as he took in the unmatched picture you both made in the mirror. “Ready to depart?”

Leaning back against him lightly, you reached up and settled your hands over his. “Do I look okay?”

“Exquisite as always,” he smiled, resting his chin on top of your head. “Perhaps one more thing…”

He gestured a long-fingered hand and your blouse became emerald silk, trimmed with black. “My colours. So everyone can be sure….”

You arched a brow, asking sarcastically, “That I belong to you?”

“It’s I who belongs to you,” he said solemnly, then kissed your forehead. “You look exceedingly lovely.”

“Oh, good. I figured you were going to say I looked like an anxious ball of nerves, because that’s certainly how I feel.” The try at humor was hollow, as was the laugh that forced itself through your twisted lips.

He extracted himself from you and lead you out into the hallway of your apartment building, your hand held firmly in his. “You have nothing to fear.”

You rolled your eyes. “Easy for you to say. I don’t know if you realize it, but meeting the mother of your significant other is already stressful enough when they’re just normal people.”

“And my mother is not?” he asked, unperturbed.

“Queen Frigga, the Allmother?” You shivered as you stepped out into the chilly wind, waving faintly at Thor as he pushed off of where he had been leaning against your building. “She could order me wiped off the face of the Earth and nobody would bat a single eyelash.”

A fierce protective look crossed Loki’s face as he pulled you into the alley beside your building. His hands settled on your upper arms and he stooped down to look into your eyes. “She would not dare. I wouldn’t allow it.”

He did sound a little like a petulant child just then and you stifled a laugh. Judging by the cough from Thor behind you, he found it funny, too.

The golden prince stepped up on your other side, shooting you an easy smile that didn’t seem fitting when he was dressed to take on an army. His own armor suited him, enhancing the breadth of his shoulders and making you feel incredibly tiny in comparison. Although you had that feeling any time you were around either of the Odinson siblings, for different reasons. “She will adore you, as we do.”

You gave a noncommittal grunt, knowing that they would never understand your fears. They had been raised to know their importance in life, to feel nothing but confident in where they stood in the grand scheme of things. Even though Loki’s had been shaken recently, he still acted as if he believed himself royalty, and he was, just maybe not in the sense that he had believed for centuries. It bolstered a bit of your courage, but only just.

How much could either brother really protect you if Odin decided that he was tired of his sons bringing mortal women before him as their selected romantic partner?

“Were you this worried upon meeting my brother and myself?” Loki asked, pulling you from your thoughts as he gathered you into his arms, holding you securely to his front.

You propped your chin up on his chest to look at him, tangling your fingers in the soft yet strong, heavy fabric of his cape. “Nope. You guys don’t count.”

The look of shocked confusion, and then a little offense, on his face made you bite your lip to stifle your laughter. Again. “I beg your pardon?”

Your answering laughter could surely be heard for miles over the din of the bustling city streets. Patting his back consolingly, you turned to Thor after you shot a searching glance around your small group. “Is Jane coming with us?”

He crossed his arms over his barrel-sized chest and shook his head with an answering frown. “Unfortunately not. She claimed she was much too busy working on her latest research, and I was not foolish enough to attempt to pry her away from it. You will be the only mortal accompanying us today.”

“Lucky me,” you deadpanned.

“Let us not keep mother and father waiting any longer,” Loki drawled, ending your conversation with Thor. He moved one hand to splay across the back of your head, cradling it against him while the other anchored your hips to his. “Hold tight to me and close your eyes, kitten.”

“Heimdall, bring us home!” The brothers called in unison.

Just before you closed your eyes, light flashing in all the colors of the rainbow surrounded you. Your fingers dug into Loki’s back, and the roar in your ears could have been your blood pounding in your veins or your bodies as you flew through the BiFrost. You managed to open your eyes for just a second, catching a glimpse of a beautiful black and dark blue sky, dotted with stars and peppered with planets.

And then the ground was solid beneath your feet, and Loki’s strong arms around you were all that kept you from stumbling at the suddenness of it.

“You are late.”

The voice, deeply accented just like Thor and Loki’s, drew your eyes to a giant of a man, dark-skinned with almost unnatural yellow-brown eyes. It felt like he was staring right into your soul with those eyes, but the unnerving effect was softened by the smile he gave you as you detangled yourself from Loki’s embrace.

He bowed his head slightly to you in greeting before gesturing to a pair of horses just outside of the beautiful golden dome that you found yourself in. “Your horses are waiting for you, as requested. The Allfather and Allmother can be found in the throne room. And milady?”

You remembered to pick up your jaw from the floor to turn your attention back to him, having lost yourself in absorbing every detail of your love’s home that you could. From the rippling rainbow of the BiFrost where the - thankfully - normal looking horses waited, to the clear and deep blue water rushing beneath it, to the expansive city of stone and gold beyond it, and finally, to the gleaming castle in the distance, dominating the skyline.

“Welcome to Asgard.”

[shraddha1225]

Buying The Best Cutlery For Your House

Your house depicts your personality. Experts believe that how you do up your house, reveals a lot about you, like your mindset, likes, dislikes, etc. Most of us don’t pay attention to the smaller details of the house and focus mainly on the larger things such as the wall colour, furniture, curtains, etc. But small things such as fork set, dinner spoon shouldn’t be ignored. Whether it’s for yourself, your family, or your guests, cutlery matters. Your dining experience is enhanced with the right cutlery set. In today’s article, we will be telling you the best cutlery for your house:

1. Cutlery set: There is nothing more appealing than a uniformly laid dining table. Imagine a nice lavish dining table with unmatched forks and spoons. It doesn’t change the taste of your food but it surely impacts your mood. Therefore, it is wise to invest in a cutlery set instead of individual items. Cutlery set online would include dinner spoons, table knives, forks, soup spoons, and more. Cutlery sets online offer a range of items. How extensive you want to go would depend on your eating habits and budget. For instance, if you drink soup often or if you eat ice cream often, then your cutlery set online should include appropriate spoons for each of them.

2.Fork sets: Not many understand the difference between various forks. But if you want to enjoy your meal, you must choose the right fork for your food item. For example, you will need a different fork set for eating fish and a completely different fork for eating fruits. You must have them all in your cutlery set. If you need more information on different types of fork sets, you can check with the experts. You can buy a range of fork sets from thinKitchen.

3. Table knife: Just like forks, there are different knives for different food items. Some of the table knives to include in your cutlery set online are steak knife, carving knife, butter knife, and so on. Depending on what you eat, you should include those table knives in your cutlery set online.

4.   Dinner spoons: Spoons are the most important part of the cutlery set. Most people in India use spoons to eat. Whether they use forks or not, they will most certainly use dinner spoons for eating. At the dining table, you should have a range of spoons for convenience and ease. From soup spoons to ice-cream spoons, you will need a range of dinner spoons in your cutlery set online. You can find the best way to lay these spoons on thinKitchen.

These were the cutlery items you must have in your house. Apart from this, you should also ensure your cutlery set matches the plates and the bowls. These days you get fancy cutlery sets that come with bronze or gold plating for a superior finish. So, if you are looking for a cutlery set online for your parties, head to thinKitchen now. They have a wide range of cutlery sets online and include dinner spoons, fork sets, and more. You can also get luxurious kitchenware at thinKitchen. What are you waiting for? Check out the website now.  

[anotherdayinchuckletown]

Happy Halloween, Mr. Wonka!

(A/N: Hello, and Happy Halloween!! Now, Halloween is my favorite holiday, so y’all know I had to whip up a little something for my favorite muse who definitely hates this day with a passion! Full disclosure, this was drafted, written, and edited all in the span of about two hours, so I’m a tad self-conscious… But hey, I was on time! I wanted to give y’all something festive, even if it’s my saddest Wonka piece so far.

Thank you so much for reading, and have an amazing (and safe) Halloween!

-Katherine <3)

_________________

Heavy machinery whirs quietly all around. Some gadgets emit soft clouds of vapor, which float listlessly toward the high ceilings of the Inventing Room like restless spirits. Phosphorescent light filters through the haze, making long shadows dance in the corners of the room. Since the sun has already gone down and factory operation hours are over, the Oompa-Loompas are absent, meaning that there is no music, no dancing—only the droning hum of technology.

An eerie combination, indeed, thinks Wonka sourly. Such a nuisance.

Charlie is preparing to leave for his annual trick-or-treating expedition, and when he asked earlier if Wonka would join him, Wonka had excused himself. I just need to tie up a few loose ends in the Inventing Room, he had claimed, pointedly ignoring his teenage ward’s crestfallen expression. You go and enjoy yourself, Charlie. A boy your age shouldn’t be stuck working on Halloween, of all nights!

The Halloween season is always a busy one for the factory. That much should be obvious, given the long-standing tradition of trick-or-treating. A tradition which allows even kids who normally have nothing to indulge in an overabundance of candy for one glorious night. A tradition which Wonka himself took part in as a child, in his family’s own unique way…

His gloved hands twitch, and he remembers what he is supposed to be doing. Well, pretending to be doing, really. He reaches for the spoon to his right, and stirs the mixture before him with more force than necessary.

The tradition of trick-or-treating expressly demands candy production be at an all-time high for the year. He has already met his surplus production goal, and the sales numbers reflect that this is a wise investment. Things are truly going swimmingly. All things considered, he thinks he should be in a great mood. He should be kicking back and relaxing, instead of throwing together this…whatever this is, just so that he has something to keep his hands and mind occupied with anything but Halloween.

“Milk powder…where is the milk powder?” he mutters to himself as he scans his table of various ingredients.

“Here it is, Mr. Wonka.”

Not expecting any sort of response, Wonka lets out an embarrassingly shrill scream. Brandishing his cane and spinning on his heel toward the source of the voice, he comes face to face with…Eliza Weber, his assistant.

Free hand clutching at his heart, which is now racing faster than a hummingbird’s, Wonka desperately attempts to get his breathing under control. He lowers the cane warily, leveling the young woman and the container of milk powder she offers him with a scowl. Finally, he stretches out his arm and snatches it from her.

The whole time, she has the audacity, the absolute gall, to look completely unaffected by his outburst. “I apologize if I startled you. I did knock.”

Eliza is not only Wonka’s assistant, but she is also Charlie’s teacher. She has only been a part of factory life for a few months, but has already proven herself to be his finest employee. Some of it can be attributed to her height advantage over the Oompa-Loompas, although she is exceedingly petite herself. She is wildly intelligent, adept in mechanical design, and regimented as all get out. In addition, her loyalty and perseverance are unmatched, to the point where it’s a bit unsettling.

“Were you planning to use your cane as a weapon just then?”

Her ability to get on his nerves at times is also unmatched.

He takes in her costume, consisting of a hooped skirt with an apron, tightly-buttoned corset, and short lace gloves. Her hair is pinned into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. “And what are you supposed to be, Nanny McPhee?” he retorts.

“Mary Poppins,” she corrects him, the insult either sailing right over her head or not bothering her in the slightest. “Charlie invited me to go trick-or-treating with him. I’ve never been, so I agreed.”

Wonka sets the powdered milk down hard enough that some of it puffs up and over the sides of the bowl, coating his gloves in the white substance. “Well, isn’t that just peachy!” The smile that accompanies his statement is too pinched, even by his standards.

“Incidentally, that’s why I’m here,” she continues. “He requested I tell you that we’re leaving shortly, and it’s your last chance to join us.”

He lets out a long sigh,  summoning up all the patience he can. “Goodness, I certainly would love to, I’m just so gosh darn busy!” He gestures to the mess on the table behind him. “You know how it is this time of year. You two go on without me, have fun!”

Eliza scrutinizes him. “You seem tense. Do you not want to go because you don’t have a costume?”

Wonka simply squints at her, confused.

“I have a contingency plan, meaning I can throw something together for you in a matter of minutes. Your facial structure bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Depp’s Edward Scissorhands.”

“It does not!” He pouts, not appreciating her sneaking up on him and making wildly inaccurate comments about his facial structure. If he bears a resemblance to any Johnny Depp character, it’s Sweeney Todd, for goodness sake!

She looks at him like he’s taken the wind out of her sails, a small victory. “Very well. I will let Charlie know that you’re busy.”

She starts to leave, and Wonka visibly relaxes, turning away. Except she lingers at the door, and he can feel those eyes on him. Those big, glassy eyes that seem to pierce through him, all-knowing, like a particularly astute goldfish.

“Permission to speak freely?” she asks suddenly.

“Denied!” he responds right on the heels of her question. He is treated to a few moments of feeling the irritation radiate off of her before curiosity gets the better of him. “…What is it?” he asks weakly.

“According to my data,” she explains, “sales are much higher than normal, but it’s nothing to warrant the rate at which you’ve been working the last few days.”

Of course, the woman who handles his accounting would call him out on his lie.

“Therefore, I can only assume this has to do with some sort of personal aversion.”

Wonka feels his skin prickle. Facing her once more, he asks, “What is your point?” The question comes out even colder than he meant it to.

Eliza at least has the decency to shuffle nervously, breaking eye contact in favor of watching the vapor circling up toward the ceiling. “My point is…at the risk of breaching the parameters of my job description…I am a very good listener as well.”

Leave it to Eliza to choose the worst possible time to display some emotional intelligence for a change. The chocolatier stares at her long and hard, choosing his words carefully. “Eliza…why have you never been trick-or-treating before?”

She looks justifiably taken aback. Tilting her head, she says, “My foster parents never allowed it. They believed Halloween was…Satanic.” Wonka nearly blinks and misses the subtle roll of her eyes at the notion.

Wonka thinks that there’s something to be said for her never knowing what she’s missing out on as a kid. Never having that false hope that this year, things will be different. Still, he latches on to his opportunity.

“Well, they’re not here to stop you now, are they?” He grins at her in a way that he hopes is reassuring and not as melancholic as it feels, even though his face is starting to hurt from smiling so much. “Yet, here you are, worrying about me instead, silly! You just take Charlie and get out there, okay?”

Looking anything but convinced, Eliza blinks slowly. “…Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Wonka.”

Satisfied that she will actually leave this time, he turns his back to her again. He does not answer her, nor does he let his expression drop until he finally hears the sound of heels clicking farther and farther down the hall.

Wonka has had his day in the sun. Or, would it be his night in the moon? At any rate, he no longer has need to go trick-or-treating. No need to celebrate the ridiculous holiday at all, for that matter.

He’s all right with that. Sincerely, he is.

Now, to get rid of that mixture he had been working on. He won’t bother tasting it—he can already smell how it is disgustingly, revoltingly, irreparably bitter.

[colesbarbeque]

Best Espresso Machines Under 200 In 2021

Coffee makers are populating kitchens with increasing numbers. And we understand it! From the traditional relatively basic coffee machine , models, systems and technologies have followed one another to today lead to the very best, ultra-versatile devices capable of preparing all kinds of coffee, of being programmed, of offering options for personalizing coffee…

In short, ultra-complete devices! Today we are looking at the best espresso makers , the comparison of which you can find below . It should be noted that although the models are stamped as espresso, they are often capable of much more in terms of functionality.

The 8 10 Best Espresso Machines Under 200 Reviews

Several technical criteria, which you can find in the buying guide in detail, allowed us to find a basis of comparison for the various espresso coffee machines. We were then able to establish ranges and find the best quality-price ratios, this in order to find models corresponding to everyone’s needs and budgets. Finally, we have used customer reviews in order to obtain a complete and objective opinion on the best espresso makers.

1 / Krups YY4081FD

While some consumers find the price relatively high, most agree that they get what they pay for. The performance is clearly unmatched by the lower ranges, which makes this device, in the eyes of users, perfectly deserving of its title of “professional quality”.

Pros

Preparation of many professional quality drinks: cappuccinos, long coffees, espresso, milk frother, coffee beans …

Good capacity of the tank (1.7L) and the bean container (260g)

Very worked design, both in terms of robustness and aesthetics

Simple and intuitive use thanks to the control panel, also allowing you to memorize profiles

Cons

Does not allow the use of ground coffee, only coffee beans

A little noisy

2 / Philips EP3550 / 00 3100 Series

This machine does so much that some users get confused! Some say that it is preferable to watch one or two configuration tutorials, as for the grinder, before launching yourself into the settings. For the rest, on the other hand, consumers highlight the great variety of functionalities, both from the point of personalization and for the rest.

Pros

Numerous functions: integrated milk frother and up to 5 different drinks including decaf coffee

Several customization options for the strength of the grinder, 5 levels for the intensity of the aroma, adjustment of the coffee length …

Easy maintenance and limited descaling thanks to the Aquaclean filter

Possibility to set your favorite drinks

Cons

The chipper takes a little time to be fully mastered

3 / Philips EP2221 / 40

Customers are impressed with the performance of the machine, while recognizing the high standards of Philips manufacturing.

Pros

High-end quality with many customization options and the possibility of serving up to 2 coffees at the same time

High reliability: Built-in high-quality ceramic grinder makes up to 20,000 cups from beans

Easy maintenance thanks to removable parts

A milk frother is integrated to diversify your preparations

Cons

Relatively noisy grinder

4 / Delonghi ECAM22.110.B

Many consumers give the highest rating to this device, which enjoys excellent popularity especially as its price has fallen by more than 100 $ since it went on sale.

Both design and practical, this machine is, in the eyes of consumers, the very example that beauty and practicality can combine to form a most successful device. A bit of a shame, some customers note, that the rinse cycle is a little sluggish.

Pros

Allows you to serve 2 cups simultaneously

Numerous customization options for the strength of the coffee, its length or the heating temperature

A grinder is integrated for the coffee beans

Tank with a good capacity of 1.8L

Cons

Despite the compact dimensions, the weight of 9kg can be felt

The rinsing cycle is triggered at start and stop

5 / Krups XP344010 Calvi

It is no surprise that consumers validate this model, giving it, for many of them, the maximum score. And no wonder: it is once again the quality-price ratio that marks the spirits, especially since you enjoy high power and an optimal temperature from the first cup. Not a competition freak, but a great home choice for users.

Pros

Good power of 1460W for 15 bars of pressure

Preheating takes no more than 40 seconds thanks to the compact Thermoblock and allows you to obtain a first cup at optimum temperature

Foam effect thanks to the steam nozzle

Practical facilities: 1 or 2 cups at the same time, storage provided for the filters, possibility of switching to manual mode for more control …

Cons

The filter holder fills a little too quickly, which implies regular maintenance and rinsing

Plastic construction

6 / Klarstein BellaVita Espresso

In the reviews, consumers obviously insist on the value for money of the device, which is certainly the biggest asset. Admittedly, it only allows you to prepare two drinks (espresso or double espresso) and the tank is a bit small, but for the price, it combines manufacturing quality with ease of use, which is a real plus for customers. We validate!

Pros

Available in classic or espresso version, as well as in silver or black

High power of 1575W for 20 bars of pressure, which is an excellent ratio

Get the coffee of your dreams at the push of a button with “OneTouch Control”

Stainless steel construction for maximum strength and extended life

The water is maintained at an optimum temperature thanks to the Perfect Temperature System

Cons

Low capacity of 0.9L

The first cup deserves a slightly higher temperature

7 / Nespresso Pixie

Consumers appear to be very satisfied with the model’s performance, obviously valuing its functionalities (perhaps a little limited, but at this price…) but above all the quality of the coffee extracted. Remember, of course, to choose quality coffee! In this regard, some consumers find the use of pods harmful, which is not the most ecological.

Pros

Possibility of choosing either manual ignition or automatic ignition

Durable aluminum construction

19 bars of pressure for a rich espresso

Quick heat-up, not exceeding 25 seconds

Cons

The water tank is relatively small, with a capacity of only 0.7L

Relatively noisy

8 / Delonghi BCO264.1

A small design flaw for the lid of the water tank requires caution when using it, so as not to have sudden movements. But this drawback remains, once we are aware, a minor point compared to the strengths of the device.

We will think, to begin with, of course of its price, but also of its many practical facilities, like the timer, the possibility of choosing the number of cups that can be served or even monitoring the state of the machine and progress via an LCD screen.

Pros

Coffee customization options: aroma (variator), choice of grind for a rich aroma and strong in taste

Possibility to serve one or two cups simultaneously

Control via physical keys with summary on an LCD screen

A digital timer is integrated

Cons

The cover of the water tank suffers from a lack of strength

9 / Delonghi EC685.M Dedica Style

For this model to be perfect, we would have liked to have had less maintenance effort to provide, both for the coffee grounds and for the filter holder. However, the machine stands out above all thanks to its excellent quality-price ratio as well as its great versatility, even allowing it to accept paper pods!

Pros

Available in 4 different styles

Quick start: in just 35 seconds the machine is ready to brew coffee

Good power of 1300W

Compactness and build quality

Cons

It is necessary to clean the filter holder regularly to preserve the functioning of the device.

You often have to go and collect the coffee grounds with a spoon

ESPRESSO MACHINE BUYING GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BUY IT!

Presentation and advantages of the espresso coffee machine

You surely can imagine that in addition to the best espresso coffee machines that you discovered in the comparison, many other models manage to stand out on the market!

Their secret? Solid technical characteristics, a range of functions, positive consumer opinions and an attractive price. But these models must be spotted, so we give you more information on the selection and purchase process.

As its name suggests, the espresso machine allows you to make… espresso. But that’s far from its only functionality! Indeed, depending on the model, it is possible to prepare other kinds of coffee, for example coffee beans when a grinder is included.

They are also personalization machines, often allowing you to choose the aroma of the coffee or to be programmed. In short, you will taste much more than an espresso with these technological gems!

What are the criteria for buying an espresso maker?

To know how to choose an espresso machine in the same way as we did, it is necessary to rely on a certain number of criteria which, in fine, correspond above all to the technical characteristics of the devices.

When faced with each criterion, systematically ask yourself the question of your needs: not everyone needs the very best, so consider the use you plan to have!

Power And Pressure

Power is certainly the hallmark of the device. Expressed in Watts, it must be high enough to allow the machine to perform all of its functions.

We will of course think of the basics (preparing the coffee), but also of the additional options of customization or choice of temperature, which will mean a correspondingly high power.

Regarding the pressure, it combines with the power to ensure both the rendering of your coffees and the speed of execution of the device. An indisputable duo!

The Personalization Of Coffee And Aroma

True technological contribution of current machines: it is now possible to personalize your coffee to obtain a grind to your taste, to enjoy a light, medium or full-bodied aroma, or to create a foam using a milk frother .

So many customization options that allow you to enjoy a unique coffee with the aroma of your choice!

Drinks That Can Be Prepared

In addition to the famous espresso that we love so much, the machines are proving more and more versatile, and are therefore now able to prepare other drinks! Thus, some will accept ground coffee.

Others will go much further, allowing both ground coffee and coffee beans, benefiting from an integrated grinder. If this is the case, remember to find out about the decibels emitted during the operation of the crusher, because the silent crusher is not yet born!

Practical Facilities: Handling, Control And Size

The control and handling of the device must be both simple and ergonomic. Most devices will pass through a system of bright LED lights indicating the status of the machine or the coffee preparation process while your actions will be carried out with physical buttons.

Others, more advanced, will integrate an LED screen, even LCD with ultra responsive touch keys on the most advanced models.

In terms of size, we will think about both weight and dimensions. Of course, the model is not intended to be moved regularly, but just think about cleaning! In terms of dimensions, these must correspond to the location where you plan to place the device, such as a worktop for example.

Note that compact formats often represent an excellent compromise between practicality and power.

Finally, since we are talking about size, also remember to find out about the properties of the machine with regard to its resistance, the quality of its coating and the material chosen … In this regard, there is no doubt that stainless steel beats plastic!

The Capacity Of The Water Tank

Regarding the water tank, the capacity depends mainly on two factors: the number of people who will use the machine regularly and the water consumption.

For the first factor, consider its use (home or office?) As well as regular diners or employees. This will give you a first idea of ​​the necessary capacity, namely that it is fashionable, even for a single individual, to reach at least the liter.

When it comes to water consumption, it is good to know that some espresso machines consume more water than others (especially when functionality increases), so that a large tub, at least less 1.5L, is welcome.

Additional Features

In addition to all the features already reviewed, the machines have other assets to highlight! Typically, the most sophisticated models can be programmed, for example so that the coffee is ready at a certain time (so that the heating is calculated) or even that the rinsing or descaling program starts every X times.

What price and what budget for an espresso machine?

You were able to discover it quite easily in our comparison: according to the ranges of machines, the price can vary from single to double, to triple, to quadruple … It can reasonably be considered that high prices mean higher ranges.

However, be careful of what may risk becoming a shortcut. An expensive product does not necessarily mean a quality product, and even if it is quality, it does not necessarily mean that its features are worth the price displayed. This is called value for money, in other words, you have to get what you pay for!

For this, you can, like us, take an interest in consumer reviews, but also call on the most recognized brands, such as Delonghi, Philips, Krups, Klarstein or even Nespresso, all manufacturers renowned for their know-how. undeniable.

You can now consider your needs. To do this, simply write down the features that you consider essential and those that you consider optional. Then find products that cover all the crucial features and a few models that also cover one or two options that you attach importance to. You will then see as many prices appear, which will form the famous “ranges”.

From there, all you have to do is sort it out, thinking about finding a compromise between your needs and your desires, on the one hand, and your budget, on the other. As an indication, coffee machines under 100 $ are really the entry level: if you want more features, stability and robustness as well as customization options, you should count on at least 150 $.

How to descale an espresso machine? In 5 steps

For machines with an automatic program, fill the removable tank with vinegar or descaling agent, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, then top up with water.

Install a sufficiently dense container under the spout to collect the descaler or vinegar

Start the descaling program. This will be more or less long depending on the devices, but will not normally require your intervention before the end of the cycle.

Once the cycle is complete, collect and empty the container, then rinse the tank before replacing it.

If your machine has a rinsing program, all you have to do is fill the tank with water to the maximum then install a container again, before launching the program and let the machine do its job.

source https://colesbarbeque.com/best-espresso-machines-under-200/

[papermoonloveslucy]

100 ARTISTS & ENTERTAINERS OF THE CENTURY

June 8, 1998

Lucille Ball was one of the figures chosen to appear on the cover of Time Magazine’s June 8, 1998 issue celebrating the top 100 artists and entertainers of the century.  In a drawing by Al Hirschfeld, Ball shares the cover with filmmaker Stephen Spielberg, musician Bob Dylan, and artist Pablo Picasso. 

In the table of contents page, there is a photo of Lucille Ball, and her article is listed below Rodgers and Hammerstein, names that were frequently mentioned on “I Love Lucy.”  Also mentioned was Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and Charlie Chaplin, who Lucy embodied on several occasions. 

LUCILLE BALL: The TV Star

The first lady of comedy brought us laughter as well as emotional truth. No wonder everybody loved Lucy

By Richard Zoglin

It happened somewhere between the clunky premier episode (”Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her”) and her first classic routine, the Vitameatavegamin commercial, in which Lucy gets steadily soused as she keeps downing spoonfuls of the alcohol-laced potion she's trying to hawk on TV. (Watch the spasm that jolts her face when she gets her first taste of the foul brew; it could serve as a textbook for comics well into the next millennium.) "I Love Lucy” debuted on CBS in October 1951, but at first it looked little different from other domestic comedies that were starting to make the move from radio to TV, like “My Favorite Husband”, the radio show Ball had co-starred in for three years. Lucy Ricardo was, in those early “I Love Lucy” episodes, just a generic daffy housewife. Ethel (Vivian Vance), her neighbor and landlady, was a stock busybody. Desi Arnaz, as bandleader Ricky Ricardo, hadn't yet become one of the finest straight men in TV history. William Frawley, as Fred Mertz, seemed a Hollywood has-been in search of work, which he was.

Then magic struck. Guided by Ball's comic brilliance, the show developed the shape and depth of great comedy. Lucy's quirks and foibles -- her craving to be in show biz, her crazy schemes that always backfired, the constant fights with the Mertzes -- became as particularized and familiar as the face across the dinner table. For four out of its six seasons (only six!), “I Love Lucy” was the No. 1-rated show on television; at its peak, in 1952-53, it averaged an incredible 67.3 rating, meaning that on a typical Monday night, more than two-thirds of all homes with TV sets were tuned to Lucy.

Ball's dizzy redhead with the elastic face and saucer eyes was the model for scores of comic TV females to follow. She and her show, moreover, helped define a still nascent medium. Before “I Love Lucy”, TV was feeling its way, adapting forms from other media. Live TV drama was an outgrowth of Broadway theater; game shows were transplanted from radio; variety shows and early comedy stars like Milton Berle came out of vaudeville. “I Love Lucy” was unmistakably a television show, and Ball the perfect star for the small screen. "I look like everybody's idea of an actress," she once said, "but I feel like a housewife." Sid Caesar and Jackie Gleason were big men with larger-than-life personas; Lucy was one of us.

She grew up in Jamestown, N.Y., where her father, an electrician, died when she was just three. (1) At 15 she began making forays to New York City to try to break into show business. She had little luck as an actress but worked as a model before moving to Hollywood in 1933 for a part in the chorus of “Roman Scandals”. Strikingly pretty, with chestnut hair dyed blond (until MGM hairdressers, seeking a more distinctive look, turned it red in 1942), she landed bit parts in B movies and moved up to classy fare like “Stage Door”, in which she held her own with Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers.

Buster Keaton, the great silent clown working as a consultant at MGM, recognized her comic gifts and worked with her on stunts. She got a few chances to show off her talent in films like “Du Barry Was a Lady” (with Red Skelton) and “Fancy Pants” (with Bob Hope) but never broke through to the top. By the end of the 1940s, with Ball approaching 40, her movie career was all but finished.

It was her husband Desi -- a Cuban bandleader she married shortly after they met on the set of “Too Many Girls” in 1940 -- who urged her to try television. CBS was interested in Ball, but not in the fellow with the pronounced Spanish accent she wanted to play her husband. To prove that the audience would accept them as a couple, Lucy and Desi cooked up a vaudeville act and took it on tour. It got rave reviews ("a sock new act," said Variety), and CBS relented.

But there were other haggles. Lucy and Desi wanted to shoot the show in Hollywood, rather than in New York City, where most TV was then being done. And for better quality, they insisted on shooting on film, rather than doing it live and recording on kinescope. CBS balked at the extra cost; the couple agreed to take a salary cut in return for full ownership of the program. It was a shrewd business decision: “I Love Lucy” was the launching pad for Desilu Productions, which (with other shows, like “Our Miss Brooks” and “The Untouchables”) became one of TV's most successful independent producers, before Paramount bought it in 1967.

Today “I Love Lucy”, with its farcical plots, broad physical humor and unliberated picture of marriage, is sometimes dismissed as a relic. Yet the show has the timeless perfection of a crystal goblet. For all its comic hyperbole, Lucy explored universal themes: the tensions of married life, the clash between career and home, the meaning of loyalty and friendship. The series also reflected most of the decade's important social trends. The Ricardos made their contribution to the baby boom in January 1953 -- TV's Little Ricky was born on the same day that Ball gave birth, by caesarean, to her second child, Desi Jr. (A daughter, Lucie, had been born in 1951.) They traveled to California just as the nation was turning west, in a hilarious series of shows that epitomized our conception of --and obsession with -- Hollywood glamour. And when the nation began moving to the suburbs, so too, in their last season, did the Ricardos.

Ball was a lithe and inventive physical comedian, and her famous slapstick bits -- trying to keep up with a candy assembly line, stomping grapes in an Italian wine vat -- were justly celebrated. But she was far more than a clown. Her mobile face could register a whole dictionary of emotions; her comic timing was unmatched; her devotion to the truth of her character never flagged. She was a tireless perfectionist. For one scene in which she needed to pop a paper bag, she spent three hours testing bags to make sure she got the right size and sound.

Most of all, I Love Lucy was grounded in emotional honesty. Though the couple had a tempestuous marriage off-screen (Desi was an unrepentant philanderer), the Ricardos' kisses showed the spark of real attraction. In the episode where Lucy finds out she is pregnant, she can't break the news to Ricky because he is too busy. Finally, she takes a table at his nightclub show and passes him an anonymous note asking that he sing a song, “We're Having a Baby”, to the father-to-be. As Ricky roams the room looking for the happy couple, he spies Lucy and moves on. Then he does a heartrending double take, glides to his knees and asks, voice cracking, whether it's true. Finishing the scene together onstage, the couple are overcome by the real emotion of their own impending baby. Director William Asher, dismayed by the unrehearsed tears, even shot a second, more upbeat take. Luckily he used the first one; it's the most touching moment in sitcom history.

Tired of the grind of a weekly series, Lucy and Desi ended “I Love Lucy” in 1957, when it was still No. 1. For three more years, they did hourlong specials, then broke up the act for good when they divorced in 1960. Ball returned to TV with two other popular (if less satisfying) TV series, “The Lucy Show” and “Here's Lucy”; made a few more movies (starring in “Mame” in 1974); and attempted a final comeback in the 1986 ABC sitcom “Life with Lucy”, which lasted an ignominious eight weeks. But “I Love Lucy” lives on in reruns around the world, an endless loop of laughter and a reminder of the woman who helped make TV a habit, and an art.

TIME senior writer Richard Zoglin still watches “I Love Lucy” reruns each day at 9 a.m.

(1) Ball’s father did not die in Jamestown, New York. He died in Wyandotte, Michigan, while on assignment for Bell Telephone. 

Some editions of the issue had an overlay cover that completely blocked Lucy from view!  She is not even mentioned in the text on the overlay!  

[sere22world]

best bass fishing lures in the history of fishing

As long as someone catches bass for sports and food, there is a debate about what is the best bass bait. To an almost frenetic extent, many bass anglers will defend themselves for the better temptations of what environment they are in than others, although these temptations are also very good when landing many other types of fish Of course, there is very little research to draw conclusions based on experience, which temptations attract bass more than others, let alone why. Nevertheless, we will look at some of the most popular bait sold to bass anglers in no particular order, based on reviews, as well as subsequent performances. There is no doubt that the plastic worm of this bait has become the most popular bass fishing bait since its development in about 1950. This is a bass fishing classic for so many reasons that many bass anglers discount it from their fishing tackle box as an unfair advantage ( So don\'t be used! ). Replacement is cheap, can be retrieved at any different speed, can be assembled in countless different configurations, can have a variety of colors and sizes, etc. Most importantly, its effect of capturing bass is unmatched by almost any other temptation, with extraordinary consistency and effort. So plastic worms are feasible To attract any fisherman who wants to make a fire, I-gotta-catch- Some solutions, not to mention the bass fishermen who were eager to see the results as soon as possible at the beginning. Most bass fishermen have a wide variety of collections, assuming they don\'t think the bait is similar to cheating! Spin bait as a No. so- Secondly, the spin bait is still a favorite for bass fishing enthusiasts for good reasons. Bass is considered a meat-eating fish, which means that they can hunt with multiple senses, not just sight. One of the abilities allows the bass to hunt by probing the vibrations in the water. The spinner bait uses this ability by causing vibration in the water, attracting bass from a distance. The spin bait also has a metal blade that rotates like a propeller. This tends to attract bass when light reflections deceive fish into thinking it is chasing prey. Therefore, the rotating bait is very effective in the turbulent and turbid water environment. The rotating bait has a variety of sizes to choose from, the larger blades cause considerable vibration in the water, and the smaller blades cause minimal vibration. Crankbait, also known as \"plug\", dates back to the end of the 19 th century, and another favorite of the bass fishermen is crankbait. This temptation is usually intended to mimic actual prey in appearance and behavior. It\'s not hard to understand why bass is attracted to a bait similar to hunting in a native setting. However, there are a few additional bonuses to take into account with the use of manual cruisers. Many of the other baits in this category are equipped with chimes that attract the bass through sound and extra vibrations, as well as the lips that cause the baits to dive below the water. You can simply determine the diving tendency of crankbait by observing the length of the lips, and the larger lips will allow the bait to dive deep, while the lips of the shallow diving crankbait will be shorter. Thanks to its flexibility, this temptation is available in a wide variety of looks, colors, and behaviors. Think about where you are fishing and what the bass ate before throwing away the random twist. For example, try a minnow- Like crankbait, if you have a pond or lake for fishing in spring and summer. If bass is used to seeing them naturally, you are more likely to succeed in manual copying. SpoonA is very simple, but the very effective bait for bass fishing is a spoon. As the name suggests, shapes are usually similar to spoons in shape and color. It moves irregularly, attracting bass as it tends to reflect a lot of light. In terms of technology, this bait can function in a number of ways, as its motion will be random and unpredictable, which is no different from small fish trying to escape predators. The bass then instinctively identifies the metal bait as a simple food! The added benefit is that, because the design of the spoon is so simple and covers such a wide range of deceptive tendencies, it can be used in almost any body of water, in these bodies of water, you may not be sure what the bass ate. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, this outline will give you a good idea of where to start to determine what you can be sure of as the best bass fishing bait. Keep in mind that each category produces different results at different times of the year, so it\'s better to have different results for each category. Good luck!

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The Types of Card Games

There are limitless types of cards to be played. People believe because two video games utilize the same deck of 52-cards they are similar video games, but nothing at all could be more unique of Barbu and Speed, or Pai Pinochle and Gow.

Here's a set of twenty different types of card games, plus some facts about them. Also happy wheels unblocked comes in this category.

1.Bridge

Bridge is a favorite contract bidding video game. Bridge has a tradition -- there are websites, newspaper columns, and actually radio shows specialized in bridge strategy. There exists a world-wide obsession with bridge, though it has been known as the hardest card video game in the world. With a complicated technique and steep learning curve, to many bridge is not only a game, it really is a lifestyle. I want I were exaggerating. 

2. Whis 

Whist could possibly be called "Bridge, Jr" -- and even though it isn't as big a casino game as it was previously, and is dwarfed in recognition by big-brother Bridge, Whist hasn't really died out. Cards gamers love trick-taking video games -- defeating out your opponent in that visual way is among the more exciting component of any card video game. Whist has a number of the complexity of Bridge with no bidding 

3. Texas Hold'em

TEXAS HOLD EM is something of a legend -- a poker variation with a tale as rich mainly because a Spaghetti western. This edition of poker, a drawing and gambling game, was invented and made popular by aged period poker sharks in Texas, therefore the name. This is the most popular poker variant right now easily, and is bringing even more new visitors to card video gaming than any other video game.

4. Hearts

It is stated that the majority of the professional poker tour players are hardcore Hearts players and they bet a lot of money on cutthroat video games of Hearts in dark mysterious areas during tournaments. Romantic simply because that may audio, it would seem sensible for these cards sharks to like the overall game of Hearts - an normally childlike video game of coordinating cards (no bidding) usually becomes a competitive nightmare. Due to the video game play, there are numerous methods to screw your opponents in Hearts. Trick-winning and passing card are big components of Hearts.

5. Spades

People don't understand it, but spades is a variation of bridge that simplifies the overall game a lot more than Whist and adjustments the results of the game aswell. Spades is actually popular in large groups, on college campuses, and in tournaments all over the world. There may be as much variants of Spades as there are organizations playing it -- because of "jailhouse guidelines" which penalize techniques like stage sandbagging and the presence of multiple variations of "house guidelines". A strategic video game you can perform without paying very much attention if you would like.

6. Go-fish

This is actually the simple children's card matching game most of us remember from our childhood. You can play Go-fish with as much players as you possess cards. Some individuals claim Go-Seafood is usually a variation of Rummy however the simplicity of the overall game and the children's video game gimmick make it most likely a few toy company's creation. Enough strangely, Go-fish is called Literature in some elements of the world. Write in the event that you understand that one 

7. War

Another children's game (or time-killing game) War is usually a straight luck centered game. Based on the flop of the cards, you either earn or drop a war. Most people beneath the age of 30 learned Battle before they discovered any additional card game. You will see War played a whole lot in lines at airports.

8. Oh Hell!

Replace your own dirty term for "Hell!" and you understand this party game. The majority of the fun may be the fact that you will get to cuss a whole lot and folks laugh at you. What maintains this video game popular is that it's a strict betting video game. The thing of Oh Hell! is usually to bid the complete number of methods you will win. You need to take only the quantity that you bid, no more no much less. Play is exact, and due to the framework of the overall game, one player usually blows it big style. There. That's what's fun. Screwing your opponent.

9. Blackjack

An art game that in a few casinos may be the best bet you may make, when you can play an ideal hand. This is probably the most popular gambling establishment card game, and includes a place in well-known tradition as THE "Vegas" video game. The main point is to create a hand that results in a complete of 21 factors without going over, and finding yourself with an increased number compared to the dealer. Players compete keenly against the House directly, increasing the fun. Small known fact -- there is somewhere nowadays a blackjack player's hall of fame. Safe and sound to say that game's got a cult following

10. Baccarat

James Bond's favorite video game (don't believe the hype -- it wasn't poker or blackjack -- browse the books) Baccarat is a simple betting game. Players wager on who'll win confirmed hand - the participant, the banker, or if you will see a tie. Sure it appears easy, but Baccarat is definitely a skill game. A little sidenote about Baccarat -- the name originates from the name of the most severe possible hand. This would end up like phoning your video poker machine "High Cards Poker". Just does not have the same band as "Royal Flush".

11. Solitaire

The most varied card game in the global world. In England, they contact this game Patience, and once and for all reason. Solitaire requires small set up beyond placing cards in particular places, and is generally played by yourself. Solitaire is another well-known airport line waiting video game.

12. Rummy and variations

There are numerous different types of Rummy, a lot more than are probably on paper on any list. I've created for a site that experienced me list 500 variations or various other names for Rummy, therefore I'll spare you the reading and simply say there are many types of Rummy. The popular variations are known as Gin Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, and Agreement Rummy. The feature which makes a casino game a Rummy can be a player matching similar cards into pairs and additional groups. Some specialists believe the Chinese video game of Mahjong is certainly section of the Rummy family members, though I'd wager the Chinese are simply fine with Mahjong since it is.

13. Pai Gow

This is a vintage Chinese domino game that is passed down over time as a poker variation. You will see Pai Gow at casinos in both as a poker and a domino game -- it really is probably the casino video game that minimal number of individuals understand. This is normally a casino game of fast bets, participant versus dealer. Pai Gow strategy is simply as rich as any various other poker betting game, and the lifestyle of Pai Gow is comparable to the Blackjack tradition -- super-fast wagers and edgy behavior at the margins.

14. Spoons

A silly card video game probably invented to maintain kids out of problems, Spoons is a bluffing video game (with some components of complementing) that uses basic kitchen utensils as an extra play element. The 1st participant in the group to attract a poker design four of a sort gets to a pile of spoons in the center of the desk, signalling the additional players to grab for just one. Since there's one much less spoon than players, one player will be overlooked every time. So its an interpersonal interaction game, rather than a game chock filled with card strategy. its fun still. Great date night video game.

15. Speed

Velocity (sometimes called Spit) is a matching game that's unique since both players play concurrently and as fast because they can. In Rate, a new player tries to 'obtain rid' of his / her cards by coordinating them to cards positioned face-up for grabs. That is an in person game, though there's actually small interaction between your two opponents. The previous few moments of any video game of Acceleration reminds me of solitaire on fast-forward, with hands and cards flying around and rows forming and draining like drinking water pipes. Strange game, Speed. 

16. Crazy 8s

That is another children's matching game, you could say it really is cousin to the favorite game Uno. The 8s in the deck of regular cards are believed "crazy" not really because they have to become medicated but to point they are crazy cards. In a few variations of Crazy 8s, not only Wild Cards but various other "guideline cards" exist, producing the game more technical for older players.

17. Slapjack

If you want to instruct more complex cards to younger children, Slapjack may be the perfect vehicle. The thing of Slapjack is to obtain the complete deck of cards by complementing and slapping pairs. Kids prefer to slap stuff, and the overall game can be played again and again.

18. Old Maid

Its not necessary an "Old Maid" deck to play this kid's card game -- any standard 52 card deck can do. Just remove among the Queens. Aged Maid is a coordinating game where players discover pairs You trade cards together with your opponent until that participant is remaining with the unmatched Queen. Matching video games are well-known, and the novelty "Aged Maid" packs are fun for children.

19. Cribbage

That is a hybrid board and card game with complicated rules that generally intimidates people, hardcore card gamers even. You play cribbage by forming sets of cards that are well worth different point values, and shifting a peg on a table that represents your improvement accordingly. Requiring a particular board (or an instant hands with a pen and paper) cribbage isn't the very best travel game, but as followers of cribbage will let you know, no two video games are alike. There are solitaire variations of cribbage, and additional varieties of cribbage action to select from if you are bored with the typical version.

20. Pinochle

Pinochle is popular since it is a trick-taking video game that you play with a 48 cards deck. In Pinochle, you make an effort to make melds or techniques, very much like in Gin, but there's an extremely complex scoring program making the overall game fun to find out and also to master. To end up being proficient at pinochle, you need to play for several years, and lose lots of hands. Though it really is less popular every year, Pinochle is among those "heritage games".